  Dr. Elisha C. Dick and The Fawcett House [507 Prince Street. Owners: The Fawcett Family.] The dashing Dr. Dick first appeared in Alexandria fresh from the tutelage of Drs. Benjamin Rush and William Shippen of Philadelphia. He was just twenty-one and of a figure to set feminine hearts aflutter; five feet ten inches, of commanding presence, very handsome, "playing with much skill upon several musical instruments" and singing in a sweet voice of great power; skilled and learned in his profession, "a strong and cultivated intellect," a genial spirit, witty and charming. The son of Major Archibald Dick (Deputy Quartermaster General in the Revolutionary Army in 1779) and his wife, Mary Barnard, Elisha Cullen Dick was born on March 15, 1762, at his father's estate near Marcus Hook, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His primary education was gained at the Philadelphia Academy, in the home of the Rev. Robert Smith, D.D., at Pegnea, and in his father's home, tutored by the Rev. Samuel Armor. In 1780 he began the study of medicine, graduating on March 21, 1782. Two days later he lost his father and came into his inheritance of half the estate. A year later he disposed of his Pennsylvania interest to Isaac Dutton and started for Charleston, South Carolina, with the expectation of settling there. plan Floor plan of house Armed with letters of introduction to General Washington, Colonel Fitzgerald, and Colonel Lyles, he stopped en route in Alexandria "to call upon a female relative" and to present his letters. He got no farther. "Influential persons" caused him to abandon his plans and remain in Alexandria, where the recent death of old Dr. Rumney left an opening which Dr. Dick filled for better than forty years. Alas, for the belles of Alexandria! In October 1783, Dr. Dick married Miss Hannah Harmon, the daughter of Jacob and Sarah Harmon of Darby in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Two years after beginning his professional life in Alexandria, he pulled a tooth for one of the Mount Vernon house servants, and the following entry taken from Washington's diary for February 6, 1785, tells the results which do not seem to have been entirely satisfactory: Sunday, 6th, Doctr. Brown was sent for to Frank (Waiter in the house), who had been seized in the night with a bleeding of the mouth from an orifice made by a Doctr. Dick, who some days before attempted in vain to extract a broken tooth, and coming about 11 o'clock stayed to Dinner and returned afterwards. So far as Washington's diaries show, Dr. Dick never crossed the threshold of Mount Vernon again until fourteen years later on a raw, cold day in December when the snow lay thick on the ground, he was sent for by Dr. Craik to attend Washington in his last illness. It was Dr. Dick who advised against additional bleeding and it was he, who, when Washington's last breath escaped, walked to the mantel and stopped the On March 28, 1788, Dr. Dick was offering a reward of eight dollars for a runaway servant: I will give the above to any person who will secure in Alexandria Gaol a Negro fellow named Ned, who ran away from me about three weeks ago. He is between thirty and forty years of age, about 5 feet 7 or 8 inches high and was formerly the property of Mrs. Clifford of whom I bought him. Having a wife in Maryland, belonging to Mr. Samuel H. Bean, I imagine Ned will be inclined to make a nightly resort to her quarters. His winter clothes were made of a mixed cloth of a gray color and it is probable he will be found with a soldier's old napsack upon his back in which he carries his provisions. Dr. Dick was one of the founders of the Alexandria Masonic lodge, to which Washington belonged. In 1791 he was Worshipful Master when the cornerstone of the District of Columbia was laid. Arm in arm with the President of the United States, who acted as Master, Dr. Dick led the procession with George Washington in 1793 at the laying of the cornerstone of the Capitol. This same year, as Master of the lodge, he solicited the President to "set" for the portrait by William Williams, which still graces the lodge room. In 1794 he commanded a company of cavalry raised in Alexandria and under "Light Horse Harry" Lee marched into Pennsylvania to help quell the famous Whiskey Rebellion. In 1795 he was superintendent of quarantine, an office he held for many years. In 1798 he was appointed coroner; in 1802, justice of the peace. Dr. Dick amassed a great deal of property and was constantly buying and selling land, houses, ships, and so on. In April 1797 he disposed of the brig Julia to Robert Mease for ten thousand dollars, "with all her rigging and materials, together with the cargo of flour and corn now on board as she lies at Ramsay's Wharf in the Port of Alexandria." Two letters to the governor, written during his service as quarantine officer reveal the fact that he was alert to his responsibilities and give some idea of how grave they were: Alexandria 4th Sept, 1795 Hon Robert Brooke Having received from various persons pretty certain information that a malignant fever is now prevalent in the town of Norfolk, I take the liberty of soliciting your instructions with regard to the propriety of interrupting the intercourse by water between that place and this. The inhabitants of Alexa. discover considerable signs of apprehension, and the corporation have entered into some temporary arrangements until more permanent ones can be obtained. I have not yet received a compensation for the last year on account of my services as Superintendent of quarantine. Such sum as you may think me entitled to for last year as well as the percent you will oblige me by placing in the hands of Mr. Thomas Majore [?] subject to the order of Mr. Charles Turner of this place. I am with great regard Elisha C. Dick Alexander, 24th July 1800 Hon James Monroe The Ship Two Brothers on her voyage from New Orleans to this point having put into Charleston S.C. there contracted the yellow fever or some other infectious disease, by which two of her crew have died. Exercising a discretionary power given by the quarantine laws to the Superintendant, I have caused this ship to commence her quarantine near this place between Rozins Bluff and Jones Point. As the removal of vessels from this port to the mouth of Elizabeth River has been found to be attended with considerable inconvenience, the Executors have hitherto authorized me to use the situation above mentioned as the anchorage ground for all vessels bound here. I shall thank you sir for such instruction as you may deem it advisable to communicate on this subject, as well with regard to my present and future government. I have the honor to be with the highest regard Elisha C. Dick In 1801 Dr. Dick was declared bankrupt, but in 1811 he was setting free his Negro slave, Nancy, aged about forty. During these years he tended the sick (a bill for sixty-five dollars was tendered to John Harper's widow in 1804), fought the plague and fever, epidemics, and prescribed for his friends with time out for a song or a sketch. His copy of James Sharples' George Washington, now in the Mount Vernon collection, is a competent, artistic portrait. He was fond of good food, good talk, people and music. His genial spirit and charming wit graced many a festive board, and that he was hospitable as well needs no further proof than the following invitation: If you can eat a good fat duck, come up with us and take pot luck. Of white backs we have got a pair, so plump, so sound, so fat, so fair, a London Alderman would fight, through pies and tarts to get one bite. Moreover we have beef or E.C. Dick Surely this friendly medical advice is well worth including in any sketch of Dr. Dick. A mature physician, he wrote to James H. Hooe: Alexandria 20 of 2nd Month 1815 Respected friend: I am in great hopes that the instructions I shall be able to give thee with regard to the general treatment of the prevailing disease, will be found on trial to be so far successful as to quiet in a good measure thy present apprehensions. Having received applications by letter from several physicians at a distance requesting information as to the character of the disease and the plan of treatment possessed by myself, I have thrown together a few practical remarks, which I shall here transcribe, and then add such other observations as may seem more especially necessary for thee in the present emergency. The disease usually commences with a chill, succeeded by fever and accompanied either in the beginning or at a subsequent stage with pain in the head back breast or sides, and sometimes with an affection of the throat. Though it is a disease attended sometimes if not generally with signs of local inflammation, yet owing to some peculiar affection or tendency of the nervous system, blood letting is in my opinion inadmissible. Of those who have been bled it has appeared that they either die or have tedious recoveries. The disease is frequently though not always of a bilious character—that is an abundance of bile is found floating in the stomach or intestines. There seems to be neither torpor nor enlargement of the liver which have characterized the diseases of this country for 21 years past; hence culomel especially in the beginning has been avoided. Emetics, if employed at all, (and in some cases they may be necessary) should not be given till the intestines have been well evacuated. The leading curative indication is purging, for which purpose Glaubers Salt has been preferred as acting upon the bowels with most ease and certainty. The purging process to be diligently persisted in, day and night or day after day according to the force and duration of the disease. Warm, stimulating drinks such as toddy, made of whiskey, is frequently, though not in every case, indispensible. This stimulus, is to be resorted to whenever there are signs of prostration of body or mind, both in the beginning and after stages of the disease. Excessive pain in the trunk may be generally mitigated in every stage of the disease by anodyne injections; for an adult two or three teaspoonsful of laudunum with a half pint of warm water. A beneficial persperation often follows this exhibition. Spontaneous sweats are commonly useful, but I have not found them critical. Blisters may be employed for the mitigation of pain, and perhaps ought not to be omitted when ... is either fever [?] is obstinate, but I have not found them in this disease to evidence their usually efficacy. If the disease be attended with sore throat, swelling of the tonsils or palate, stricture of the trachea, with or without external swelling, a gargle of warm strong toddy, in the water of which has been boiled a pod of red pepper, will it is believed from past experience, be found uniformly and promptly effectual even in cases when suffacation seems immediately threatened. When this affection has existed to any considerable extent, I have generally with the use of the gargle also applied a blister around the throat. In order that thou may not easily be discouraged in the prosecution of the purging plan, it is necessary to inform thee that I often find it expedient to give 3 to 6 ounces of salts in 24 hours. I usually divide 2 ounces into three There is one thing which particularly deserves thy notice and that is that this disease is in a majority of instances I believe preceeded by certain premonitory signs; such as flying pains about the chest or some other part, head ache, etc. A reasonable resort under such circumstances to one or two cathartics will pretty certainly avert a more serious attack. I have directed Archy to forward thee a supply of salts and cathartic powder and I feel a persuasion that by the aid of the foregoing observations thou wilt be able to manage this disease to thy satisfaction. It indeed may be not expected that none should die of so formidible an epidemic, but I think I can with truth state to thee, that under this treatment 19/20s of those who fall under my care recover. With regard to thy wife's present situation, I think it would be advisable for her to take occasionally a gentle laxative, and for that purpose I send a package or two of my saline purgative powders. Let her take one in a cup of gruel and repeat it as may be necessary. Hoping that thou may be at least as successful as I have been in thy future management of this complaint, and that thy family may furnish no more victims is the sincere wish of Thy friend Elisha C. Dick
Tablespoon vingar with 10 gns of salts of Tartar house The Fawcett House where Dr. Dick lived Dr. and Mrs. Dick were the parents of two children, Julia and Archibald. Julia married Gideon Pearce of Maryland and their son, James Alfred Pearce, became a United States senator from Maryland. Dr. Dick, who began life as an Episcopalian, became a Quaker and Writing to her son, Smith Lee, April 10, 1827, Mrs. R.E. Lee commented: "Poor Alexandria has suffered much by fire this winter. Mr. Dulaney will give you the particulars, it has lost some of its old inhabitants too. Capt. Dangerfield, Mr. Irvin, dear Dr. Dick, and Sam Thompson ..." Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick rests in the Friends burial ground in an unmarked grave, but his spirit hallows several houses in Alexandria. With such a wealth of dwellings to choose, it has been difficult to settle Dr. Dick for long; nor really does he want to be settled. He was full of surprises during life, and it will be another to most Alexandrians when we place him in the old clapboard house known for better than a century as "the Fawcett house." On December 20, 1774, John Alexander sold to Patrick Murry a certain lot or half acre of land situated and adjoining the west side of a lot or half acre of land lying in the town of Alexandria and represented by lot No. 112. This lot, lying on the north side of Prince Street, between Pitt and St. Asaph Streets, was described as: "Beginning on the Southwest corner of the said lott No. 112 and running thence with it to the Northwest corner thereof 176 feet 7 inches, thence Westerly with a line at right angles with the last 123 feet 5 inches thence Southerly with a line parallel to the first one and of the same extent thence Easterly with a straight line to the beginning." There was a ground rent upon this property every year forever of £13 5s., and the provisions that Patrick Murry or his heirs should build within the space of two years from the date of purchase a brick, stone or wooden house, twenty feet square, to cover four hundred square feet, with a brick or stone chimney or chimneys. At the same time John Alexander bound himself to lay out and keep free forever a street sixty-six feet wide binding on the west side of the granted lot or half acre of land, by the name of St. Asaph Street: "Beginning at a straight line produced and extended from the termination of Cameron Street in the said town of Alexandria until it extends sixty-six feet to a direct line to the Westward beyond the breadth of the other lott or half acre of land, thence Southerly and parallel to Pitt Street in the said town, until it intersects a street of the same width called Wilkes Street ..." Patrick Murry built and resided in this completely charming clapboard parlor Patrick Murray's parlor. The picture over the mantel is needleworked, a polite accomplishment taught to females and the product of the gentle hands of a Fawcett ancestor On July 2, 1806, William Newton and wife conveyed the property "including all that framed dwelling house lately occupied by the said William Newton" for the sum of four thousand dollars to William Smith; The descendants of John Douglas Brown have occupied the home for the past one hundred and thirty-three years. His great-grandchildren, the Fawcett family, are the present owners of the house. The Fawcett house Dr. Dick Dear Dr. Dick. By Saint MÈmin. There are many levels, and the house goes back in a surprising brick ell that is not seen from the street. The exterior presents the appearance of a story-and-a-half cottage. Two windows, with their uncommon blinds, break the wood-shingled roof. The blinds' slats are wide and heavy, and the shutters are held in place when opened by the traditional molded iron holdbacks. The east gable end of the house is shiplap. From this side projects the entrance porch, added about 1816, and protected by "jalousies." Portraits, old silver, glass, and china, prints and mahogany, with great grandmama's best brocade dresses, are the fruits of more than a century of the family's inheritance. The picture over the mantel is done in embroidery—the product of one of the Fawcett ancestors, worked in 1814, while a pupil at one of Alexandria's schools where young ladies were taught the fine arts, and the curriculum included every form of needlework. house Benjamin Dulany's Town House house |
|
