Identifier: oldcannonfoundry00davi (find matches)
Title: The old cannon foundry above Georgetown, D.C. and its first owner Henry Foxall
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Davis, Madison. (from old catalog)
Subjects: Foxall, Henry, 1758-1823. (from old catalog) Columbian foundry, Georgetown, D.C. (from old catalog)
Publisher: Lancaster, Pa., Press of the New era printing company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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with many partsof the world; was the owner of quite a number of housesand other property in Georgetown, among which wasFoxalls Bow; was a helper to some extent in the build-ing up of the Capital City, being an investor in itsunimproved lots; and from 1821 to 1823 he was themayor of Georgetown, and filled the office with dignityand credit. In all his enterprises, and in every publicposition held by him, he seems to have been actuatedby a spirit of shrewdness, progress, and philanthropy, * Quite a different statement is made by Mr. Foxalls grandson inthe paper heretofore quoted. He says that his grandfather ownedslaves, but that he really hated slavery. His motive in this ownership,however, was purely humanitarian. He wished to help the negroes.He treated them with great kindness, and would never allow familiesto be separated. The old slaves he kept in comfort until they died; theyoung ones he gave useful occupation and training, and when able toshift for themselves he manumitted them.
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2 p rt o ft « W fcuo o „ g bO The Fox all Cannon Foundry. 35 and to have been generally beloved. He derived muchof his happiness, besides the good will of his fellowmen,from activity. His course was like that of the littlecreek that formed part of his manufacturing plant:—not a sluggish or motionless pool, but a running stream,full of brightness and usefulness. During his wholelife in Georgetown, no man was better known or betterliked than he. His successful intercourse with thepublic men of his day is in itself a very strong testi-mony of his general merits; for he who can enjoy theintimacy of the great, and on no occasion disgust themby his familiarity or disgrace them by servility, provesthat he is as perfect a gentleman by nature as his com-panions may be by rank. While in Georgetown Mr. Foxall had two residences—one a country house and the other a city mansion.Both these houses are still standing. The first is in abeautiful situation—part of the original Foxall pur-chase

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