14 REPORT OF ARCHITECT OF UNITED STATES CAPITOL. 



immediately to the west of the Capitol as its "hack yard," aud all iu connection with 

 it as comparatively ignoble. With the city on the west, the transformation of the 

 creek and swamp, and the opening of the magnificent view on that side, it is incom- 

 parably the nobler front. 



It is a tradition, and is probable, that Washington, while building his brick house, 

 planted some trees on the east side of the Capitol, of which the elm above referred to 

 was one, and is the only one remaiuing. Another of equal age, but rotting prema- 

 turely, probably from unskillful or neglected pruning, was blown down a few years 

 ago, and a third was removed in consequence of the enlargement of the Capitol. The 

 last was a tree of graceful habit, and Mr. Smith, of the Botanic Garden, has distrib- 

 uted, through members of Congress, many rooted cuttings of it to different parts of 

 the country. The surviving tree, having a girth of but ten feet at four feet from 

 the ground, has been of slow T growth, and been badly wounded within twenty years, 

 three cavities showing the removal of considerable limbs by barbarous excision. On 

 the east side a strip of bark, the entire length of the trunk, has been torn off. The 

 ground, at a little distance on three sides, having been trenched and euriched, and 

 that nearer the trunk forked over aud top-dressed, the tree has, within three years, 

 gained greatly iu health and vigor; its wounds are closing over, and it may yet out- 

 live severel generations of men. 



Some years after the death of Washington a space of ground nearly half as largo 

 as the present ground was inclosed in connection with the Capitol, and a street laid 

 out around it. The Washington elm stands near where this bounding street inter- 

 sected another which formed the northern approach to the Capitol, aud on the oppo- 

 site side, to the north, an inn of some celebrity, long known as the "Yellow Tavern," 

 was built. This was the dining place for members still lodging at a distance. 



Whatever improvement had been made upon the original ground before the burn- 

 ing of the Capitol in 1814 was probably then, or during the subsequent building oper- 

 ations, wholly laid waste, the three or four trees first planted alone escaping. . 



In 1825 another plan for laying out the grounds was devised, which was sustained 

 in the main fomearly lift ecu years, dunug most of which period John Foy had charge, 

 and, as far as he was allowed, pursued the euds had in view in its adoption consist- 

 ently. It was that of an enlarged form of the ordinary village-door yards of the 

 time, flat, rectangular "grass plats," bordered by rows of trees, flower-beds, and 

 gravel walks, with a belt of close planting on the outside of all. So long as the trees 

 \\ ere saplings and the turf and flowers could be kept nicely, it was pretty and becom- 

 ing. Hut as tlie trees »-rew they robbed and dried out the flower-beds, leaving hardly 

 any thing to flourish in them but violets and periwinkle. Weeds came in, and the 

 grass, becoming sparse and uneven, was much tracked across, and grew forlorn and 

 untidy; appropriations were irregular and insufficient to restore it or supply proper 

 nourishment. Foy was superseded for political reasons, and his successor had other 

 gardening ambitions to gratify. 



Al this time, though even some years later, George Combe described the city as "a 

 straggling village, reared in a drained swamp;'' it had become clear that it was not 

 to grow up on the east front of the Capitol. John Quiucy Adams, on retiring from 

 the Presidency, had, like Washington, determined to build a town house for himself 

 in Washington, and had chosen to do so far to the west. Much other private build- 

 ing had followed, including one Large and excellent hotel, aud government had under- 

 taken several important public buildings in the same quarter. 



It was then determined to make an addition (about seven acres), and considerable 

 improvement of the premises in the ••rear" id" the Capitol, and this improvement 

 led on, without any special act of Congress, to a gradual change of motive in the 

 management of the old ground on the east, under the management of James Maher, 

 who is described by his friends as a jovial and witty Irishman, owing his appoint- 

 ment to the personal friendship of General .lackson.* 



The soil at the foot of the hill was much better than that of the east ground; bid 

 the trees planted by Maker were chiefly silver poplars and silver maples, brittle and 

 short-lived. After doing more or less injury to the more valuable sorts, they have all 

 now disappeared, but there remain of the planting of this period several flue occidental 

 planes, scarlet maples, horse-chestnuts, a pecan, and a holly. 



South of the "Washingteu rim." adjoining the east court of the Capitol, there are 

 a do/en long-stemmed trees, relics of two circular plantations introduced in the midst 

 ■ I l"o\ s largest " ,>;rass plats." by Maher, for " barbacue grovcs,"one probably intended 

 for Democratic the other for Whig jollifications. These were also largely of quick- 



* The following stor\ is repeated from the best authority: The President once sent 

 lor Maher and said : "1 am your friend. Jimmy, but I have often warned you, and 

 this time 1 must turn you out." "Why, what's the matter now, General?'' "I am 

 told that you had a bud drunk again yesterday." "Why, -now, General, if every bad 

 storj that's told against yourself was to be believed, would it be you that would be 

 putting me in and putting me out .' " He remained with another warning. 



