THE WORLD of LAFAYETTE SQUARE Sites Around the Square
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THE WORLD OF LAFAYETTE SQUARE Lafayette Square is a seven-acre public park located directly north of the White House on H Street between 15th and 17th Streets, NW. The Square and the surrounding structures were designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1970. Originally planned as part of the pleasure grounds surrounding the Executive Mansion, the area was called "President's Park". The Square was separated from the White House grounds in 1804 when President Jefferson had Pennsylvania cut through. In 1824, the Square was officially named in honor of General Lafayette of France. A barren common, it was neglected for many years. A race course was laid out along its west side in 1797, and workmen's quarters were thrown up on it during the construction of the White House in the 1790s. A market occupied the site later and, during the War of 1812, soldiers were encamped there. Lafayette Park has been used as a zoo, a slave market, and for many political protests and celebrations. The surrounding neighborhood became the city's most fashionable 19th century residential address. Andrew Jackson Downing landscaped Lafayette Square in 1851 in the picturesque style. (www.nps.gov) Historian and novelist Henry Adams on Washington, D.C. 1868: “La Fayette Square was society . one found all one’s acquaintances as well as hotels, banks, markets, and national government. Beyond the Square the country began. No rich or fashionable stranger had yet discovered the town. No literary of scientific man, no artist, no gentleman without office or employment has ever lived there. It was rural, and its society was primitive. The happy village was innocent of a club. The one-horse tram on F Street to the Capitol was ample for traffic. Every pleasant spring morning at the Pennsylvania Station, society met to bid good-bye to its friends going off on the single express. The value of real estate had not increased since 1800, and the pavements were more impassable than the mud. (The Education of Henry Adams, p. 253) Sites Around the Square BRIGADIER GENRAL THADDEUS KOSCUISZKO (1910) northeast corner of the park Antoni Popiel, sculptor architect unknown medium: bronze Thaddeus Koscuiszko (1746-1817) This monument to Polish patriot Thaddeus Koscuiszko commemorates a lifetime dedicated to fighting for freedom in America and Poland. As a young military engineer, he offered his services to the American army in the darks days of 1776. His skill in building fortifications on the Delaware River, at Saratoga, and at West Point in New York, contributed greatly to the eventual American victory. In 1783, an appreciative Congress commissioned him to brigadier general and after granted him a bounty of $15,000 and 500 acres of land in Ohio. In 1784, he returned to his homeland, where he led the fight to preserve the freedom of Poland from Russia. In 1794, his outnumbered forces were defeated at the battle of Raclawice, and he himself was imprisoned. Released in 1796, he continued his efforts on behalf of Polish freedom until his death in 1817. Koscuiszko’s passionate concern for freedom extended to enslaved blacks. The proceeds from the sale of his © Washington Walks 2018 1 Ohio lands were used to fond the Colored School at Newark, New Jersey, one of the first educational institutions for African Americans in this country. In this memorial, a heroic bronze of Koscuiszko stands 8 feet high upon a granite pedestal, facing north. He is attired in the uniform of a general of the Continental Army and holds in his right hand a map of the fortifications at Saratoga. Below the inscription bearing his name a proudly defiant eagle with outspread wings guards a flag, a shield, and a sword upon a quarter globe showing America. On the south face an eagle, similar to that on the north face, struggles fiercely with a snake on a quarter globe showing Poland. On the east pedestal face, a group shows Koscuiszko in American uniform freeing a bound soldier symbolizing the American army. A flag is in Koscuiszko’s left hand, and a fallen musket and overturned drum are at the youth’s feet. On the west face of the pedestal, a fallen Koscuiszko, in Polish uniform, attempts to direct a peasant soldier symbolizing the Polish army. Koscuiszko leans upon an overturned basket of shot. (Washington Sculpture) CUTTS-MADISON HOUSE (1820) Madison and H Streets, southeast corner This house was originally owned by Richard Cutts, brother-in-law of Dolley Madison, who took up residence here after her husband’s death. The house was restored as part of the Federal Judicial Center in 1968. Lafayette Square Personalities Dolley Madison (1765-1849) Daniel Webster’s assessment of Dolley at the end of her long career: “The only permanent power in Washington, all others are transient.” Dolley, born in 1765, grew up in North Carolina and the moved with her family to Philadelphia. There she met and married fellow Quaker John Todd and bore him two sons. She lost both her husband and her younger child to a yellow fever epidemic in 1793. She married James Madison in 1794 and moved to Washington, D.C. Dolley Madison's rescue of George Washington's portrait secured her place as a legendary figure in American history, although she had made a name for herself in many other ways. She arrived in Washington during President Thomas Jefferson's administration when her husband James Madison was appointed Secretary of State. Her impact was soon felt, as she became an unofficial hostess for the widowed president's small dinner parties. As first lady during her husband's presidency, Dolley Madison played a major role in the capital's social and political scenes. With an astute sense of purpose and considerable charm, Dolley Madison navigated the waters of Washington society in an unprecedented way. She brought together disparate groups of politicians, diplomats, and local residents in a social setting. Weekly parties, called "Wednesday drawing rooms," or "Mrs. Madison's crush or squeeze," provided a relaxed atmosphere for politicking and mingling. With no invitation required, these parties sometimes attracted four hundred guests. Some individuals who rarely associated with one another found themselves together at the White House. Even a boycott by President Madison's opposition party, the Federalists, fizzled when members realized there was no political advantage to staying away. © Washington Walks 2018 2 Mrs. Madison's presence and personality were critical to the success of the events. Dressed vibrantly in rich colors and fabrics and often adorned by an unusual headpiece or turban, she greeted visitors as they enjoyed an evening of refreshments, music, and lively conversation. Mrs. Madison also presided over dinner parties, captivating her guests with unusual menu items, such as ice cream in warm pastry, and extraordinary conversation skills. Dolley Madison continued entertaining at the White House until war virtually reached her doorstep. The dinner table was set for 40 guests the day she left the White House. She and a few servants had remained at the White House, packing up valuable documents, silver, and other items of importance. With limited space, she made choices about what to take and what to leave. Among the items that could not be left behind was the full-length portrait of George Washington by artist Gilbert Stuart. Purchased by the federal government for $800, the portrait was as much a symbol of the republic as any other object. Once the painting was safely on its way, Dolly Madison left the White House. Residents flooded the roads out of town. Even the soldiers assigned to protect the White House had fled before Mrs. Madison. The destruction was about to begin. The War of 1812 The United States declared war against Great Britain on June 18, 1812. Although war had been avoided for several years, the continued harassment of U.S. ships and impressment of American sailors by the British pushed the nations to the brink. Despite protests from pro-English Federalists in Congress, President James Madison, at the time of his reelection, had determined that there was no other solution. For the first two years of the war, the fighting was confined to Canada, the Great Lakes, and the high seas. The British were preoccupied with their simultaneous war against France and did not have the resources to devote attention to both fronts. The war was distant from the people of Washington. But once Great Britain overthrew Napoleon in April 1814, it consolidated its forces against the United States. The fighting moved down the Atlantic coast towards the Chesapeake Bay. After a disastrous battle at Bladensburg, Maryland, which President Madison witnessed, American forces retreated. The British turned their sights on Washington. Although the Americans had outnumbered the British at Bladensburg, they were no match for the well-disciplined professional soldiers under the command of Major General Ross. The British troops then continued to Washington on August 24, 1814 and burned the major government buildings, including the White House and Capitol. Although burning the city was primarily in retaliation for the torching of the Canadian capitol, York (now Toronto), the British also hoped to disgrace President Madison and to divide the country once again. Fortunately, the fire did not have the desired effect. After several more months of war, including the needless but successful Battle of New Orleans, the United States declared victory, ratifying the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815. (This treaty was signed at The Octagon, located just a few blocks from Lafayette Park. The Madisons rented the house after the White House was burned.) The Madison White House The White House has been an evolving structure since George Washington oversaw its design and construction.