WASHINGTON TRIP: HALCYON HOUSE
Halcyon House
Washington, D.C.
Photo by John White (2011)
Georgetown, District of Columbia (JFK+50) On our recent trip to D.C., we walked past a very beautiful large Georgian-style classic home just off M Street in Georgetown.
It is the Halcyon House located at the corner of 34th & Prospect Streets.
It was built in 1786 by Benjamin Stoddart, the 1st Secretary of the Navy & an important Georgetown landowner.
Historic Marker
Photo by John White (2011)
The home, with gardens designed by Pierre L'Enfant, was a social center in Washington's early years.
Halcyon House underwent extensive reconstruction from 1978 to 1995 & just last year was on the market for an asking price of nearly $20 million.
The Halcyon House in on the National Register of Historic Places.
Front Door of Halcyon House
Photo by John White (2011)
October 13, 1960
KENNEDY NIXON DEBATE GOES COAST TO COAST
Hollywood, California & New York City (JFK+50) The 3rd 1960 Presidential Debate took place tonight in California & New York.
While Republican nominee Vice-President Richard M. Nixon was in Hollywood, his Democratic adversary, Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy, was in New York City.
The debate was moderated by Bill Shadel of ABC News.
Television monitors enabled the candidates to see & hear each other during the debate.
Senator Kennedy was asked this question:
Vice-President Nixon says that your budget (according to the Democratic Platform) would run 10 billion dollars a year more than his. Do you agree?
JFK responded:
"I believe in a balanced budget & have supported that during my 14 years in the congress. The only times when an unbalanced budget is warranted would be during a serious recession. I believe the next administration should work for a balanced budget & that would be my intention."
October 13, 1966
McNAMARA SAYS VIETNAM WAR IS PROGRESSING SATISFACTORILY
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) Having returned from his 8th fact-finding visit to South Vietnam, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara proclaimed today at a news conference that the military operations in Saigon are "progressing satisfactorily".*
*McNamara, appointed by JFK, served as LBJ's Defense Secretary until 1968. He wrote, years later, that in private he had told LBJ progress in Vietnam was really "very slow".
LBJ & McNamara
White House Cabinet Room
Photo by Yoichi Okamoto
LBJ Library
October 13, 1955
SENATOR KENNEDY SPEAKS IN TIVERTON, R.I.
Tiverton, Rhode Island (JFK+50) Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts spoke here in Tiverton today before a meeting of the Fall River (Massachusetts) Chapter of the National Association of Cost Accountants.
The Senator called for the government of the United States to provide a program of flood-disaster relief.
Tiverton, Rhode Island
October 13, 1792
FREEMASONS LAY CORNERSTONE FOR PRESIDENT'S HOUSE
Washington, D.C. (JFK+50) A group of Freemasons marched from Georgetown today to lay the cornerstone of what will be the official home of the President of the United States.
The stone was placed at the SW corner of the 1st public building in the new Nation's Capital.*
The architect of the home, directed to "oversee & implement construction", is James Hoban who was born in Kilkenny, Ireland. He arrived in the U.S. 5 years ago.
James Hoban
by John Christian Rauschner (1800)
White House Historical Association
Hoban's design for the President's House is based on Leinster House in Dublin which was built by James Fitzgerald.
*"The cornerstone's location remains the oldest secret of the many that are now part of White House lore."
Bruce Kauffman
Appeal-Democrat.com
October 13, 1775
CONTINENTAL NAVY AUTHORIZED
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (JFK+50) The Continental Congress today authorized the construction & administration of the 1st American navy.
The Continental navy is expected to include a fleet of 7 ships: 2 frigates, 2 brigs & 3 schooners.*
*The US Navy was officially established on April 1, 1798.
Continental Naval Jack
