V.

About ten years ago a number of colored women, organized as the Women's Union Christian Association, opened the Home for Friendless Colored Girls in order that such girls, rescued from destitution and vice, from earliest age to their fourteenth year, might be cared for and trained in matters of housekeeping, and made self-supporting and selfrespecting. During the ten years 300 children-many literally outcast-have had the benefit of this charity, which included a certain amount of education, instruction in all branches of housekeeping, moral and religious (nonsectarian) training, and finding them permanent homes in families as their services became useful.

A lot adjoining Howard University has been given by Miss Maria Stoddard (white) for the purpose of erecting thereon a building suitable for the Home, but the subscriptions of money toward this object as yet amount to but $150. Since its establishment the Home has been occupying rented quarters on Erie street, Meridian Hill, a house out of repair and ill suited to the purpose. The District Commissioners have allowed the Home $500 from the fund for the relief of the poor. On September 5, 1897, Mrs. Caroline Taylor, the devoted president of the association, fell from the embankment near the home (the street having been cut down), and was killed. Her successor in office is Mrs. John A. Pierre.

VI.

The Association for Works of Mercy, located at 2408 K street NW., was organized and incorporated under the general incorporation law February 1, 1884. The institution is under the care of the Sisters of the Epiphany of the Protestant Episcopal Church, occupies lands valued at $25,000 and buildings valued at $10,000. Congress appropriated $8,200 towards the lands and makes an annual appropriation of $1,800 for maintenance. The institution accommodates about 24 white girls under 30 years of age, no girl being received for less than a year. White girls of any faith are received. Roman Catholics are transferred to the House of the Good Shepherd. The income from private gifts in 1896 was $823.28, and the entire expenses were $2,778.59. The Board of Children's Guardians makes use of the Home to some extent. The Home is in charge of Sisters Mary and Dorothea.1 The president is Mr. Harry C. Whiting; the president of the ladies' board is Mrs. E. C. W. Chubb.

The Bruen Home, located at 436 M street NW., was established and is maintained largely by Mr. W. L. Bruen as a home for destitute women and girls. It has a kindergarten and a day nursery for the children of working women. The number of inmates is about 20. Hearings, pp. 299-301.

1

CHAPTER XI.

HOMES FOR THE AGED.

IN

N the Corcoran Art Gallery and the Louise Home, the late Mr. William Wilson Corcoran left to the city of Washington two conspicuous monuments of his public spirit and benevolence. How numerous and diverse were his private benefactions may be learned in part from the historical sketches of the various institutions in this book. It is quite within bounds to say that among all the philanthropic citizens of the District of Columbia Mr. Corcoran stands foremost, not alone in the amount of his gifts, but also in the direct personal interest he took in the application of benevolence.'

William Wilson Corcoran was the son of Thomas Corcoran, who was born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1754, and who came to Baltimore in 1783, to enter into the service of his uncle, William Wilson, a shipping merchant. In 1788, Thomas Corcoran married Hanna Lemmon, of Baltimore, and the same year he settled in Georgetown, then a thriving port with ten square-rigged vessels lying at her docks, at the time of Mr. Corcoran's first visit. Entering the shoe and leather business, he also acted for his uncle in purchasing tobacco and flaxseed for export, Georgetown, Bladensburg, and Baltimore being at that time the three rival tobacco markets of Maryland. In 1791, on behalf of the corporation at Georgetown, he presented an address to President Washington, who had come to Bladensburg to negotiate with Robert Peter, Samuel Davidson, David Burns, Notley Young, and Daniel Carroll for the lands comprised in the District of Columbia. In 1801, President Jefferson appointed him a magistrate and a member of the levy court, positions he held under successive Presidents until his death in 1830. In 1815 he was appointed by President Madison postmaster of Georgetown, and held office till his death, being succeeded by his son James, who also held the position during his life.

William Wilson Corcoran, the fifth son of Thomas Corcoran by his second marriage, was born December 27, 1798, and received instruction from Rev. William Allen, a Presbyterian clergyman; at the Georgetown College, of which institution the Rev. Father Gracie was then the president; and from Rev. Addison Belt, a graduate of Princeton. In 1815 he entered the dry goods store of his brothers, James and Thomas, and two years later they started him in business for himself. During the panic of 1823 he went down with about one-third of the merchants of Georgetown; but in 1847 he paid his creditors in full with interest, although he had secured a release after the failure.

Instead of reembarking in business Mr. Corcoran devoted himself to the interests of his father, the management of whose property he superintended. In 1828 he took charge of the real estate and suspended debt of the Bank of the United States and the Bank of Columbia. In 1830 his father closed his long career of usefulness. He had been a member of the Georgetown council and mayor of the town; he was

The Louise Home is beautifully situated on a high terrace fronting on the south side of Massachusetts avenue, between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets NW. The grounds embrace about 53,000 square feet, and are laid out in walks shaded by trees and shrubbery of native and foreign growth. The building itself, French in its style of architecture, is one of the most beautiful ornaments to a section of the city where neither wealth nor taste have been spared in adornment.

Being desirous of founding a memorial and fitting tribute to the memory of his wife and daughter, the latter of whom, an only child, had then but recently died, Mr. Corcoran conceived the plan of establishing a home for women of education and refinement whom age and misfortune had rendered dependent, and to whose needs those bound by family ties were unable to minister. In his letter of December 4, 1870, Mr. Corcoran, addressing Messrs. James M. Carlisle, George W. Riggs, James C. Hall, and Anthony Hyde, delivers to them, his selected trustees, a conveyance for the establishment of the institution. This

also one of the founders of St. John's and Christ churches, and of Columbian University. Mr. W. W. Corcoran was active in the District militia-having been promoted through the various grades to a colonelcy-and in 1849 he declined the command of the militia of the District. On December 23, 1835, Mr. Corcoran married Louise Amory Morris, daughter of Commodore Charles Morris, the issue being two daughters and one son. The first daughter and the son died in infancy. The second daughter, Louise Morris, was born March 20, 1838, and died December 4, 1867. She married the Hon. George Eustis, jr., son of Hon. George Eustis, chief justice of the supreme court of Louisiana. In 1837 Mr. Corcoran established a brokerage business on Pennsylvania avenue, near Fifteenth street, and during the the same year removed his family to Washington. In 1839 he removed his business to the old Bank of the Metropolis Building, on the corner of Fifteenth and F streets, and the next year associated with him Mr. George W. Riggs.

In 1845 the firm of Corcoran & Riggs purchased the old United States Bank at the corner of Fifteenth street and New York avenue, together with all its property and effects uncollected. About 1847 the firm took, on its own account, nearly all the loans made by the United States. In 1818 Mr. George W. Riggs retired from the firm and was succeeded by his younger brother Elisha. During this year the firm had on hand about twelve millions of the 6 per cent United States loan of 1848, and the demand for it falling off in this country Mr. Corcoran sailed for Europe to place the bonds. After much discouragement he succeeded in placing five millions with Baring Brothers & Co., George Peabody, Overend, Gurney & Co., Denison & Co., Samuel Jones Lloyd, and James Morrison, this being the first sale of American securities made in Europe since 1837. The success of this operation in London gradually advanced the bonds to 119, thus securing a very handsome profit for the firm. On April 1, 1854, Mr. Corcoran withdrew from the firm, and the business was continued by Mr. George W. Riggs, under the firm name of Riggs & Co., which name was changed in 1896 for the Riggs National Bank.

In 1859 Mr. Corcoran began the erection of a building at the northeast corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Seventeenth street, designed for a public art gallery. The breaking out of the civil war brought into requisition all such buildings in the city, and led to the occupation of this building for military purposes, to which use it was devoted until about the beginning of 1869, when it was restored to the possession of the owner. On May 10, 1869, Mr. Corcoran called to his house Messrs. J. M. Carlisle, George W. Riggs, Dr. James C. Hall, Anthony Hyde, James G. Berret, James C. Kennedy, Henry D. Cooke, James C. McGuire, of the District of Columbia, and W. T. 7260-10