. Book of the Royal blue . of themost lavish of hosts. Senator Depew wasthe last occupant. At New York Avenue and 18th Street isthe famed Octagon House, now the prop-erty of an association of artists. This was the residence of Ogle Tayloe,who was reputed to be the wealthiest manin the country. Owning thousandsof acres of land and hundreds ofslaves, by some his wealth was esti-mated at a million dollars, but fewbelieved it possible for one man tohave such an immense sum. Afterthe burning of the Executive Man-sion by the British in 1814, Presi-dent Madison was for a time theguest of Mr. Tayloe,
. Book of the Royal blue . of themost lavish of hosts. Senator Depew wasthe last occupant. At New York Avenue and 18th Street isthe famed Octagon House, now the prop-erty of an association of artists. This was the residence of Ogle Tayloe,who was reputed to be the wealthiest manin the country. Owning thousandsof acres of land and hundreds ofslaves, by some his wealth was esti-mated at a million dollars, but fewbelieved it possible for one man tohave such an immense sum. Afterthe burning of the Executive Man-sion by the British in 1814, Presi-dent Madison was for a time theguest of Mr. Tayloe, and it washere that the treaty of peace withEngland was signed in 181,5. Someof the old slave quarters still stand,surrounded by a high brick wall. Down near the river at the footof 17th Street, is the mansionerected by General \an Ness, thewealthy New York Congressmanwho married Marcia, the only<hild and heir of David Burns,the Scotch planter who ownedthe ground now occupied by the HISTORIC BUILDINGS OF WASHINGTON. 11. E. D. E. N. SOUTHWOUTH Ilni ^l Treasury, White House and several of theDepartment buildings. When after muchtrouble Burns was brought to sell his landto the new Nation, it was agreed that thestreet should not run through his little four-roomed cottage stood untila few years ago, when it was torn down tomake way for the athletic grounds of acollege club. When Marcia Burns wasmarried one condition of the parental con-sent was that the young couple should livein the old home. During the life of Burnsthe bargain was kept, but at his deathGeneral ^an Ness employed Latrobe, thegenius who planned the Capitol, toerect a house suitable for a man ofhis wealth and standing; the resultwas the present mansion, whichwhen completed was said to be thefinest in America, and was the firsthouse in the city, if not in thecountry, to have running water onthe upper floors. In common with the homes of■wealthy men of the day, it hadspacious wine vaults. The assassinBoot
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