It is a handsome but unpretending
building, not like its neighbours, of marble, but painted to look like
stone; the public reception-rooms are alone shown, but a good-natured
servant let us see the private rooms, and took us out on a sort of
terrace behind, where we had a lovely view of the Potomac. The house is
situated in a large garden, opposite to which, on the other side of the
road, is a handsome, and well-kept square. The house has no pretensions
about it, but would be considered a handsome country house in England;
and the inside is quite in keeping, and well furnished. The furniture is
always renewed when a new President takes possession; and as this is the
case every four years, it cannot well become shabby.
In a line directly opposite the back of the house, and closing up the
view at the end of the gardens, stands the monument which is being
erected to Washington. This, when finished, is to be a circular
colonnaded building, 250 feet in diameter, and 100 feet high, from which
is to spring an obelisk 70 feet wide at the base, and 500 feet high, so
that, when completed, the whole will be as high as if our monument in
London were placed on the top of St. Paul's. At present nothing but its
ugly shaft is built, which has anything but a picturesque appearance,
and it is apparently likely to remain in this condition, as it is not
allowed to be touched by any but native republican hands, here a rather
scarce commodity.
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