USA > Washington DC > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 25
USA > Virginia > Eminent and representative men of Virginia and the District of Columbia in the nineteenth century. With a concise historical sketch of Virginia > Part 25
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65
an officer in the old army. The ancestry of Mr. Parker were all of Puritan stock. Mr. Parker was himself a student at Fort Edward, N. Y., when the late war broke out, and in November, 1862, he enlisted in company M, First Vermont cavalry, and served until the final surrender, tak- ing part at Brandy Station, Culpeper, in Kilpatrick's raid, the Wilderness, Spott- sylvania, Cold Harbor and Sherman's raid arond Richmond; then his company was detailed to the second army corps, and he was in the fight around Peters- burg, Weldon railroad, N. C., Bean's station and Five Forks. When the war was over, Mr. Parker was appointed clerk in the war department, in 1865, and held several positions of trust and responsi- bility. He studied law during his incum- bency of these offices, and in 1876 graduated from the law department of the Columbian university, taking one of the graduation prizes, and has since taken great interest in his alma mater, donat- ing the annual $100 " Myron M. Parker prize " to the post-graduate class. In 1879 he was appointed assistant postmaster of Washington, and so continued until a change of administration. Mr. Parker is a Freemason of high rank. He was secretary of the Washington committee of the corner stone of the Yorktown monument, and in 1864 and 1865 was grand master of Masons of the District of Columbia, and officiated as such at the dedication of the Washington monument; he at present is grand sword bearer of the grand encampment of Knights Tem- plar of the United States. He has also taken an active part in many public move- ments of importance. In 1889 he was one of the promoters of the constitutional
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convention, and of the World's Columbian | niece of Gen. F. E. Spinner, who was ap- exposition of 1893, making a strong argu- pointed treasurer of the United States by Abraham Lincoln, and who was a member of congress from the state of New York. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Parker have been born four children, viz: Hattie Griswold, Louise Lavaun, Myron M. and Rush. ment before the senate committee in favor of Washington as the proper place for holding the exposition. He was prominent as a member of the inaugural executive committees of Garfield and Cleveland, and was vice-chairman of the committee on civil organizations at the inauguration of President Harrison, also DeWITT CLINTON PATTERSON, M. D., commanded the fifth division in the in- augural parade; was chairman of Trien- nial committee to receive and entertain the grand encampment of the Knights Templar of the United States in 1889, and was chief marshal of the great parade, in which 25,000 knights were in line. In business and professional societies he also is prominent and active; he was one of the founders of the Columbia National bank, and one of its directors; is a director of the Columbia Fire Insurance company; the Columbia Title company; the United States Electric Light company; the American Security and Trust company; vice-president of the Brightwood Rail- road company, a director in the Ecking- ton & Soldier's Home Railroad company; a director in the Emergency hospital, Washington hospital for foundlings, and in the Training school for nurses. He is a member of the Vermont and Wash- ington societies of the Sons of the Ameri- can Revolution, and was president of the Washington board of trade in 1890 and 1891.
Mr. Parker was happily married, in 1876, to Nellie Lavaun Griswold, daughter of Gaylord Hooker Griswold, an officer of the Eleventh United States infantry, to which he was appointed from West Point. She is also a descendant of Zachariah Beers, of Woodbury, Conn., a soldier of the Revolution; also a grand-
of Washington, D. C., is descended from a long line of American ancestry, his great - great - great - grandfather, Andrew Patterson, having come to this country September 5, 1685, from his native city of Leith, Scotland, in the ship Henry & Francis, landing at Perth Amboy, N. J. Thence he went on foot to Stratford, Conn., in July, 1686, where he settled and married Elizabeth Peat, and by her be- came the father of the following children: Sarah, Charles, William, Elizabeth, Han- nah, Mary and John. Of this family, Charles, the eldest son, married, January 29, 1719, Eunice Nicholls, to whom were born two sons, Andrew and Abraham (twins), October 25, 1719. Of these twins, Andrew married Abigail Beardsley, who also bore two children, named Charles and Andrew. Of these two, Andrew died in July, 1824, aged seventy-six years, his father having died in August, 1797. Charles, the second son of Andrew and Abigail (Beardsley) Patterson, was born in Connecticut in 1745, and married Mar- tha Hall, of Connecticut, and settled in Mount Washington, Mass. To this union eleven children were born, as follows: Levi, John, Charles, Charles (2d), Joseph (father of Dr. DeWitt C.), Luther, Mark, Martha, Hannah, Abigail and Em- ma. Charles Patterson, the father of this family, stood high in the esteem of his neighbors, and for a number of years
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served them as a magistrate. He was a | when a child. He studied medicine under farmer by vocation and also served as a Dr. M. L. Brooks, in Cleveland, Ohio; graduated from the medical department of the Western Reserve college in Cleve- land, in 1851, and located there, remaining four or five years. In 1856, he went to Minnesota, where he remained until 1861 when he returned to Cleveland, Ohio, en- tered the Federal service as surgeon of the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Ohio Volunteer infantry, and served three years. He then resided in Pennsylvania until 1867; when he removed to Washington, D. C., where he has since remained, serv- ing as coroner of the District of Columbia since July 1, 1872. captain in the Revolutionary war. His death took place May 29, 1837, after an energetic life of usefulness. Joseph Pat- terson, the father of DeWitt C. Patterson, was born at Mount Washington, Mass., October 10, 1780, and was reared to farm- ing. He, like his father, for many years served his fellow-citizens as a magistrate, and stood among the foremost men of his community. June 8, 1808, he married Elizabeth Kane, daughter of Philip Kane. Philip Kane was born at Clinton, N. Y., in 1746, and was a gentleman of recog- nized ability and good family. To this felicitous union of Joseph Patterson and He was married, in 1852, to Amelia K. Clark, daughter of Albert Clark, of Cleveland, Ohio; to them were born two children -Albert Clark Patterson and Elizabeth Patterson. The doctor stands high as a physician, is a member of the Medical association of the District of Co- lumbia, also of the Medical society of the District of Columbia and of the Amer- ican Medical association. Elizabeth Kane were born a family of ten children: Emma, born 1809, became the wife of Rev. J. S. Power, and died in 1866; William, born 1811, married Phæbe Vin- cent, who died 1856-for his second wife, he married Caroline Blanchard in 1857; Amanda, born 1813, married J. C. Bassett, and died in 1890; Hiram, born 1815, mar- ried Lydia K. Brooks-married the sec- ond time to Cynthia Fields; Richard. John, born 1817, married Lucy Clark; Sarah, JAMES GEORGE PAYNE born 1819, married Rev. Horatio S. Brad- ley, died 1891; Joseph H., born 1822, died 1845; Francis G., born 1824, died in 1844; DeWitt C., whose name opens this sketch and Harriet Eliza, born 1830, married Edmond W. Brooks. The father of this family died May 30, 1871, aged ninety years and seven months. His widow died April 15, 1883, at the ripe age of ninety- three years, eleven months and four days.
Dr. DeWitt C. Patterson, next to the youngest of this family, was born in Mount Washington township, Berkshire county, Mass., August 3, 1826, and received his preliminary education in Lorain county, Ohio, whither he moved with his parents father, he did not return to college, but
was born in Buffalo, N. Y., April 21, 1833. His parents were George and Elizabeth (Thompson) Payne, who were natives of England and who soon after marriage went to Quebec, Canada, and later made their home in Buffalo. Both parents are dead -the father dying in 1851, and the mother in 1888. Three sons and three daughters were reared to manhood and womanhood, five of whom are still living. James George (the eldest) received his principal education at a private institute in Buffalo, and entered college (Hobart) at the age of sixteen. Being called home in his second year by the illness of his
Sans , Payne
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entered upon the study of the law in the office of John L. Talcott, Esq., Buffalo. The death of his father, whose business affairs were left somewhat complicated, and the necessity of contributing to the support of the family, compelled our sub- ject to suspend his law studies for a time and take employment in the counting room of a mercantile house in Buffalo. In 1853 he moved to Erie, Penn., to take a similar position with a firm of that city, with whom he remained until three years later, when he engaged in business for himself.
In 1860 he resumed the study of the law in the office of J. B. Johnson, Esqr., of
many months, and this first visit home was for only five days.
Col. Payne remained with the army of the Potomac until the spring of 1864, when he was commissioned captain and assistant quartermaster, and later was or- dered to duty at Washington, D. C., where he remained on duty until the fall of 1867. In the meantime he had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, had brought his family to Washington, and had become identified with the city.
On leaving the army Col. Payne was admitted to the bar of the supreme court of the District of Columbia, where he has continued to practice from that time to the supreme court of the United States, and of the bar of the court of claims. He was an officer of the Bar association of the District of Columbia from the time of its organization until the end of his second term as president, a few years since. For several years he filled the chair of real estate law, law of evidence
Erie, and was admitted to the bar in 1861. this. He is also a member of the bar of Having opened an office and engaged in building up a practice, he was called to assist in recruiting a second regiment in that part of the state to be commanded by Col. H. L. Brown, a personal friend. He spent some time in this work, address- ing meetings in various places and pro- curing volunteers, and when the ranks were about full he, at the request of the and criminal law in the law department citizens, went to Harrisburg to see the of the university of Georgetown, resign- governor with reference to the organiza- ing the position finally under pressure of tion and equipment of the command. As other engagements. He received from the Confederates were then invading the that university the degree of doctor of laws. In the spring of 1879 the supreme court of the District appointed Col. Payne its auditor. This appointment was state in and near the Cumberland valley, the governor requested Mr. Payne to tel- egraph for the regiment to proceed di- rectly to the front, via Harrisburg, which made unsolicited, and during his absence was done, and at the urgent request of from the city, and the office has been held Col. Brown our subject went with them, by him continuously since. He still, how- taking the rank of lieutenant.
ever, continues his practice at the bar.
The regiment was the One Hundred - Col. Payne is a director of the Ameri- can Security and Trust company, and other business enterprises in the District and Forty-fifth Pennsylvania volunteer infantry. When Mr. Payne left his home and business at Erie to visit the governor of Columbia. He is an Episcopalian and at Harrisburg, he was to be gone three member of St. John's church. His family days, but before he again returned home consists of wife and two sons, Harry the three days had lengthened into as Moore and George Clay, both married.
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Col. Payne is a member of the Blue lodge, chapter and commandery of Ma- sons, a member of the Metropolitan club governor of the University club, member of the Army and Navy club, and of the Loyal legion.
GEORGE WOODROW PEARSON,
president of the Metropolitan Railroad company, Washington, D. C., is a native of the city and was born in 1837. He at- tended the public schools of Washington until he was about eighteen years of age, when he entered the office of the Globe, then the official journal of congress, in charge of Blair & Rives, and learned printing. In 1862 he went as an assistant to his father, who was internal revenue assessor of the District of Columbia, hav- ing been appointed by President Lincoln in that year, and for eight years was the faithful coadjutor of the elder Pearson, who at this time retired to private life, the son serving thirteen years longer, when, in 1884, he was elected president of the Metropolitan Railroad company, and is still filling that position. Mr. Pearson is also a director in the Second National bank; also of the United States Electric Light company; also of the Virginia Brick company, the Norfolk & Washington Steamship company, and the Real Estate Title and Insurance company, and is so industrious in his habits and so persever- ing in his devotion to the various duties that he is called upon to perform, that he scarcely has an hour that he can call his having married, in 1877, Miss Kate Ed- mondston, daughter of Charles Edmonds- ton, of Washington city; they have one child, William E. Pearson, twelve years of age.
Peter M. Pearson, father of George W., was born in Washington, D. C., in 1800. He was a merchant in Washington until appointed by Lincoln assessor of internal revenue. He was a member of the city council of Washington for years, and one of the members of the original board of school trustees of the District of Colum- bia. He was also a lieutenant in the militia of the district under Gen. A. Jack- son. He was married, in 1833, to Emma J. Martin, daughter of James Martin, of Alexandria, Va., and died in 1876. Charles Pearson, father of Peter M., was born in Fredericksburg, Va., and was a builder.
PAUL J. PELZ,
architect, was born November 18, 1841, in Seitendorf, near Waldenburg, Silesia. The family is an old one of Frankonian origin, since the sixteenth century settled in Silesia and the kingdom of Saxony. The father, the late Edward Pelz, was a publisher and author, who in 1848 joined the revolutionary movement in Germany. He was a member of Frankfort parlia- ment, and during the reaction was persecuted and had to flee to the United States in 1849. As an author, Edward Pelz occupied a prominent place in Ger- man literature, his historical work, " Peter the Great" of Russia, his political writ- ings, and lastly his writings relative to the emigration of Germans to the United States were of recognized merit.
Paul J. Pelz received a collegiate educa- tion at Breslau, Silesia, and in 1859 en- tered the office of Mr. Detlef Lienau, own, although he is a man of family, architect, III Broadway, New York, with whom he staid as a student and assistant for seven years. During this time he de- veloped into a very efficient draughtsman, so that he was in 1864 entrusted with the entire charge of the office, and the superin-
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tendence of two large buildings during a the work of gathering the information and four months' absence of his employer in preparing it for publication. Europe.
While in Paris Col. Elliott and Mr. Pelz received flattering criticism from many sides for the excellency of the latest de- signs for light-house structures; parties engaged in the construction of light- houses even asked permission to use cer- tain novel details of construction. It was no doubt due to the superior merit of the designs exhibited at the World's fair at Vienna, in 1873, prepared by Mr. Pelz, that the light-house board received the first premium in that branch of exhibits, the diploma of honor.
While with Mr. Lienau, Mr. Pelz, in 1866, became a member of the American Institute of Architects, which was then a young institution, with a small member- ship, under the presidency of Richard Upjohn. After leaving Mr. Lienau's of- fice he was chief draughtsman for Mr. Fernbach, another New York architect of large practice. In 1866 he went to Washington, D. C., to take charge of an establishment, but the brilliant expecta- tions regarding the same were not realized and he was obliged, after a year's, struggle, to take a place as a draughts- man in the office of the light-house board, under General O. M. Poe, then engineer secretary of that body. Gen. Poe and his successor, Col. Geo. H. Elliott, recogniz- ing the superior ability of their employee, gave him every encouragement to remain in the service, and latter put him into the place of chief of the construction of- fice, when he had abundant opportunities to exercise his talent and judgment. The numerous light-house structures de- signed by him show a happy combination of good solid construction, with the graceful outlining and appropriate detail due to his training as an architect. In 1873 he was sent by the secretary of the treasury to accompany Col. Elliott on a tour of in- spection of European light-house systems, which occupied five months. The re- sults of this tour are laid down in an of- ficial report by Col. Elliott, which is a document of such extraordinary merit that Van Nostrand published it after the official edition (forty-third congress, first session Ex. Doc. 54) was exhausted. In the report Col. Elliott gives proper credit to Mr. Pelz for his participation in for extensive works not executed; among
As an architect, Mr. Pelz sometimes worked alone, but mostly associated him- self with other practitioners; his associates being Emil S. Friedrich, Chas. H. Read, Jr., George H. Griedel, and John L. Smithmeyer; in all these combinations, Mr. Pelz was the leading spirit, profession- ally speaking; he was sought out by other professionals on account of his superior talent for designing. By far the most im- portant association was that with Mr. Smithmeyer, for, owing to Mr. Smith- meyer's enterprise, great energy and pre- serverance, large and important work was secured. Mr. Smithmeyer took charge of the execution of the work as a superin- tendent, while Mr. Pelz prepared the de- signs and elaborated the drawings. In this way they built the new academic wing of the Georgetown college at a cost of $300,- 000; the Carnegie free library and music hall at Allegheny, Penn., at a cost of $275,- 000; the Chamberlin hotel, Fortress Mon- roe, at a cost of $500,000; the government army and navy hospital at Hot Springs, Ark., at a cost of $100,000; the money order office building at Washington, D. C., etc., etc. Many were the projects
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others, that received much attention and the committees, and through his large and applause, was a project for a memorial bridge across the Potomac in honor of Gen. Grant, offering an alternative in Romanesque and Renaissance styles of architecture. In this instance Messrs. Pelz and Smithmeyer were associates with Capt. T. W. Symonds, of the engineer corps, United States, as the engineer of design. The culminating work of the Pelz-Smithmeyer combination was un- times during the twelve years did it seem doubtedly the great project of the build- ing for the library of congress. A design submitted in competition in Novem- ber, 1873, by these architects (together with twenty-eight others) received the first premium. The congressional com- mittee was guided in its selection by the counsel and advice of Edward Clark, architect of the United States capitol and the late A. B. Mullett, then supervising architect of the treasury. A second prize was awarded to E. Melander of Boston, and a third to Schulze, Schoen and Cluss, of New York and Washington. From this time (1874) till 1886, there was a con- tinuous struggle between Smithmeyer & Pelz, on one hand, who, by virtue of the first premium received, justly considered themselves entitled to the work, and such outsiders, on the other hand, as either volunteered or were called in by those in power to submit, from time to time, plans for a library building. During these twelve years these two men struggled hard and their work was truly heroic; not less than twelve different variations of their de- sign were prepared, to meet the con- tingencies of competitions as they arose, and to suit the whims and notions of the various committees of both houses of congress, as they came into office one session after another. Mr. Smithmeyer, with great tact and skill, worked before lowed in both houses of congress, in which
influential circle of friends undoubtedly helped along the cause of the library building, while at the same time he tried to secure the interests of the firm. All this time Mr. Pelz prepared all the material, such as designs, perspectives, plans, calculations, briefs for argument, etc., to supply Smithmeyer with ammunition for his campaign. Several as if fortune would smile on these two men; twice the senate had passed bills for a library building, but they failed in the house each time. At last, in 1886, both houses adopted the measure to build the structure. Mr. Smithmeyer. then had himself appointed architect of the building to the prejudice of his partner, because, as he stated, he had been told by the committee that the govern- ment would not recognize a firm, and Mr. Pelz had no alternative but to accept the position of assistant architect. It was, however, agreed that in all mat- ters professional the share of honors, and the standing of the partners, should re- main equal as before, but as time and work progressed, Mr. Pelz found that Mr. Smithmeyer did not rely upon him solely, but allowed outside influence to interfere with the designs which had borne up to that time the stamp of his own individ- uality. It is a matter of historical record how the Smithmeyer administration of the library building came to grief. A contractor for the concrete foundation, Mr. Barnes, claimed that Mr. Smithmeyer, in rejecting his cement, was prejudiced and harsh, and on the other hand Mr. Smithmeyer defended his privilege to re- ject unfit material. A very lively and bitter attack upon Mr. Smithmeyer fol-
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Mr. Smithmeyer, in spite of the fact that filled as to its appearance. It is two he was defending the best interests of the stories above ground (thirty-six feet) ; it United States, was, together with the commission, legislated out of existence, and the whole matter was placed in charge of General Casey, chief of engi- neers, United States of America, with orders to have plans prepared for a build- ing not to exceed $4,000,000, in cost. On the day after the bill had become a law, General Casey appointed Mr. Pelz archi- tect, with full power to prepare designs for the proposed building. Mr. Pelz, at for a structure to cost $6,000,000, in which the old excavations, and foundations already laid, could be better utilized,
measures 470 feet by 337 deep. The ex- terior is of Concord granite, the four courts of enameled brick, with granite trimmings. It will be 70 feet high to the balustrades in the lowest portions, while the center, the four corners, and especially the dome, will rise above that height. It will be the largest library structure in the world. By the time this biographical work will have been published, a verdict as to the merits of this building will have that date, the 3rd of October, 1888, set to become apparent and whether the separa work, and in the incredibly short time to tion of the artistic creative element from the Ist of December of that year pre- the executive as practiced in this in- pared a design for the four million build- stance is productive of the best results or ing not only, but also an alternative design not. Mr. Pelz's official connection with his creation ceased on May 1, 1892, when he was informed that the general designs having been finished, his services were no and greater advantage obtained over longer required and he will not have the a smaller building. Congerss recog- pleasure of keeping his work under his nized the wisdom of the last prop- touch to the end. It is well known that osition, and they modified the law by the United States government is not adopting the plan for the large building liberal, and Pelz & Smithmeyer have for execution. On this design Mr. Pelz had occasion to find it out to their cost. Not only were they not paid for the designs submitted for the library building, but they were put to the trouble and cost of litigation before the court of claims, who awarded them $48,000, less than one-third the amount of the value of their twelve years' labors. So they have appealed to the United States supreme court, and live in the hope that that tribunal will mete out justice to has followed and better elaborated the ideas of his first studies, and has elminated from it all foreign elements introduced during the official régime in 1887-88. No influence was exerted, or even advice was given, as to the design by General Casey, who wished to leave the architect un- trammeled; however, the execution of the building was not put in the architect's hands butgiven to Mr. Bernard R. Green, civil engineer, as superintendent and engi- them.
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