Existing comment:
Lafayette Square
Once the White House Overlooked a Residential Neighborhood, 1902
Lafayette Square, once surrounded by residential houses and mansions was a grand neighborhood that included the White House. Benjamin H. Latrobe's Saint John's Church, built in 1816, was soon followed by his design for Stephen Decatur's house. erected 1818–19, on the northwest corner of the square. Dolley Madison spent her last years in a residence directly across the park on the northeast side of the square. In 1902 during the renovation of the White House, Theodore Roosevelt became a temporary square resident, living near Decatur House at 22 Jackson Place. |