Farewell to Old 'Friendship'
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Farewell to Old ‘Friendship’ HForest Hill” or Oak View, country home of President Cleveland, 1886 to 1889, where the Presi- dent and Mrs. Cleveland spent their honeymoon. By John Clagett Proctor. dressed to William De&klns, Jr., and Ben- in which he In In view of the fact that the Govern- jamin Stoddert, says, ment is to take over Friendship, the part: estate of the late John R. McLean, and "In asking your aid In the following to convert it into a $10,000,000 housing case, permit me, at the same time, to ask development for defense workers, we can the most perfect secrecy. well assume that these beautiful grounds "The Federal will soon be laid off into squares and territory being located, streets and a city of homes, apartment the competition for the location of the houses and perhaps a hotel or two, town now rests between the mouth at erected before long. the Eastern Branch and the lands on Friendship, which contains about 76 the river below and adjacent to George- acres, is bordered on the south by town. In favor of the former. Nature Macomb street, on the north by the has furnished powerful advantages. In Heurich tract, on the east by Wisconsin favor of the latter Is Its to ” vicinity Part the and the residence Mrs. Edward B. McLean on the estate known as “Friendship recently avenue and runs westward for quite a Georgetown, which puts it in the way of of grounds gardens adjoining of distance. Of course, it is said, and it is deriving aids from it in the beginning, acquired by the Government. —Underwood & Underwood Photo. very true, too, "that it is an ill wind that and of communicating in return an In- the lands of Mr. Carroll, be- at avenue and Thirty- In 1794, Stoddert transferred his interest one for whom the property was being does not blow somebody some good.” and creased value to the property of that Thirdly, standing Prospect fourth street, Is a reminder of his until the deed was recorded though the regret be general that this town. These advantages have been so tween Goose Creek, the river and Mr. pros- to Gen. Forrest, who thus became the purchased estate must be broken the perous days and when the commerce of in his own name as trustee, when he up, yet. people poised in my mind as to give it different Young's, to the same ford of the creek. sole owner of this vast tract, which Georgetown extended far and wide into transferred the title to the In this vicinity, particularly those re- tendencies at different times. There are ‘‘The of this letter Is to ask immediately object became known as Rosedale, and upon to the west of this will foreign lands. President. In the tract of land secured siding estate, lands which staid yet in the way of the you to endeavor to these purchase which he erected this same a frame it On June a license was issued year there were 231i acres, and a roomy stone undoubtedly appreciate very much, latter location and which, if they could grounds of the owners for the public, 7, 1781. to C. Stoddert at house on the north side of Ordway dwelling of no particular historic in- since, as it now stands, many have to be obtained for the purposes of the town, particularly the second parcel, but as if Benjamin Marlboro, to Rebecca, of terest, though nearby was Rosedale, the walk or drive blocks out of their way to would remove a considerable obstacle to for yourselves, and to conduct your Md., marry daughter street, a short distance east of Wiscon- Wisconsin and home of Gen. Uriah Forrest. reach avenue, naturally, it and go near, Indeed, to decide what so as to excite no Christopher Lowndes of Bostock House, early an proposition suspicion sin avenue, which is still standing, and the McLean tract is this Benjamin Stoddert, early At the death of Gen. Forrest, his es- when developed has been so long on the balance with me. that they are on behalf of the Maryland. Today her remains repose in public." last known to be in the of owner First the same tomb with her husband in old possession tate was left to his sons and two will not be necessary. of Friendship and “There are, ffrst, the lands on the In 1783 Mr. Stoddert became a member daugh- Addison Gen. Forrest's descendants. the latter the wife of Dr. the southwest side of a line to be run from of the firm of Forrest, Stoddert & Mur- Chapel burying ground, near ters, being Secretary of Navy. Bowie of and Mrs. Green. of where the road crosses Goose Creek dock, shipping merchants in George- Chesapeake Beach Junction, Md. Uriah Forrest was born near Leon- Georgetown History Friendship The sons died without heirs, and the erty, to the east of the old Rockville road (in going from Georgetown to the East- town. Capt. Stoddert died in 1813, at his ardtov/n, St. Mary’s County, Md., in descended to the two The early history of this estate runs ern Branch, to the comer of lot, As to his it is believed this home in and his burial took property daughters. and south of Pierce Mill road to Woodley Beatty's schooling, Bladensburg, 1756, where we find his brother, Zach- back at least to about December In 1868, Rosedale was subdivided, and 1, 1711, including by the plat of Beatty and Orme culminated with a course at the Univer- as before stated, in Addison road, were the farms of John place, Chapel when a tract of land was to Noonan, the acres Mr, granted the house of William Pearce), or, if the sity of Pennsylvania. However, it goes Cemetery, near Seat Pleasant, Md. upon 2312 purchased by the H. Dent James Col. Thomas Addison gnd James A. heirs, Nourse, Nancy whole of this cannot Cleveland, there was erected a two-story parcel be obtained, without saying that he was a man of Stoddert's holdings In real property Stoddert, son of Thomas Stoddert, by Green, George Green, W. E. P. so stone house. To the east of this was French, then, secondly, much as would he considerable learning and refinement and was not confined to for in of Friendship, the name Friendship, containing within a line t« be run from the said another subdivision, consisting of 16 Maj. Nicholson, E. W. Clark, Kar- undoubtedly an early promoter of edu- 1790 we find George Beall, son of Ninian 3.124 acres, and which was surveyed for ford, or thereabouts, to the middle of the cation in acres, which belonged to Mme. Iturbide, ranel and-Jessup. Georgetown, where there are Beall, transferring to Uriah Forrest and them on the before-mentioned date. of one of the daughters of Mrs. Green, who line cession which extends from the still Stoddert descendants, especially Benjamin Stoddert 990 acres to the Benjamin Stoddert, who once held title lying Later, on December 3, 1713, a patent was comer of lot as above men- his sister had married Count Iturbide, who was to Beatty’s through Sarah, ancestress of north of Georgetown, between Wiscon- Issued them for this vast stretch of land. Friendship, was, according to one au- then the Minister from Mexico. The tioned, to its termination in Goose Creek. the Matthews family. His old home, still sin avenue thority, born in Bladensburg, Md„ while and Rock Creek. However, And shortly afterward, a deed of par- son by this marriage was adopted by another source describes him as tition passed between the said Addison having King Maximilian, and in this way be- been born in Charles Md. As the and Stoddert. County, came the heir to the throne of Mexico date of his birth is given as 1751, and as James Stoddert, by his will dated on before the republic was established. Bladensburg was in Prince Georges or about March 29, willed his part 1726# County at that time, the placing of his Florida’s Paradise for Parrots of Friendship to his sons, William. Ben- Oak View birth in both of these places, must mani- jamin and Thomas. To William he gave At the time President Cleveland festly be an error. However, the date, By Stanmore Cawthon, pur- 300 acres of that part of Friendship on Wide World New*. chased Oak View, The Star printed an 1751, is no doubt correct, for the in- the branch of the Fall Run. The re- account of the from scription on his tomb tells us he was 62 interesting place, 1,260 acres he to MIAMI, Fla., Jan. 10.—A. F. Scherr “Another method is to take the bird with a see more maining gave Benjamin the you cynical eye. They which the following is taken: years old at time of his death in 1813. and and Thomas in equal parts. imported monkeys alligators for his with you wherever you go and talk to it than 40.000 people a year, and their opin- At the beginning of the struggle for “One of the pleasantest drives in this parrot jungle sc the birds would feel at constantly, repeating often the words ion of the human race doesn't seem very Thomas Stoddert sold his share July independence he joined the Continental vicinity is out over the Military road home, but he cid the job so well the you are trying to teach. high—perhaps because the conversation 31, 1747, to James Wardrup. Wardrup in 1776. In he be- trom to and Army Jauary, 1777, parrots quit talfcng.