Marcia Burnes Van Ness (May 9, 1782 – September 10, 1832) was an 18th and 19th–century socialite in

Washington City ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Early life

Marcia Burnes was born on May 9, 1782, to Ann (née Wightt) and David Burnes on their plantation in what would become

(present day Washington, D.C.). Her father was a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

farmer, landowner and slave owner. He owned 600 acres of land and used it for

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and

corn Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...

crops. Her father sold the land in 1791 to make the city of Washington, which made the family wealthy. Marcia burns-james peale

Burnes attended the School for Young Ladies in Georgetown. She then went to

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

to complete her education at Madame Lacomb's Female Academy, while staying with the lawyer

Luther Martin Luther Martin (February 20, 1748, New Brunswick, New Jersey – July 10, 1826, New York, New York) was a politician and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, who left the Constitutional Convention early because he felt the Cons ...

and his family. Her brother, John, studied law under Luther Martin. While staying with the Martins, painter Charles Peale painted a miniature of her at the age of fifteen.

Life

In 1798, Burnes returned to Washington. After the death of her father in 1799, many referred to Burnes as "the heiress of Washington City". In 1801, Burnes met John Peter Van Ness, a Congressman from New York, and they married on May 2, 1802. Her husband built them a house at D and 12 Street in Washington. She entertained numerous guests, including

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

at this house. In 1803, their daughter, Ann Elbertina, was born. In 1807, her mother died and she was left with her father's fortune estimated to be at least . Van Ness threw parties and entertained guests in Washington City, including President

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

and his wife, Dolley Madison. She was friends with Dolley Madison. During the Burning of Washington, the Van Ness family left the city and returned to both of their houses, the D Street house and a cottage on 17th Street unharmed. After returning to Washington, Madison named her husband in charge of the reconstruction of the destroyed government buildings. Van Ness, along with the wives of Obadiah Brown and Harrison Smith, established a plan to shelter orphans after the conflict. Van Ness was then named the Second Directress of the Washington City Orphan Asylum (now Hillcrest Children and Family Center). Around 1816,

Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was an Anglo-American neoclassical architect who emigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, draw ...

built the Van Ness Mansion on 17th Street. They entertained the Madisons, James Monroe,

George Washington Parke Custis George Washington Parke Custis (April 30, 1781 – October 10, 1857) was an American plantation owner, antiquarian, author, and playwright. His father John Parke Custis was the stepson of George Washington. He and his sister Eleanor grew u ...

and John Tayloe III at their mansion. The mansion was described as the "finest house in America". Around 1822, her daughter, Ann Albertina, and her granddaughter, Marcia Helen, died and were buried at Oak Hill Cemetery. Afterward, her husband became mayor of Washington City.

Death

Van Ness died on September 9, 1832. She was buried September 10th at the

Van Ness Mausoleum The Van Ness Mausoleum was designed by George Hadfield. It is said to be a copy of the Temple of Vesta in Rome. History The mausoleum was constructed in 1824 for the daughter, Ann Elbertina Middleton, and granddaughter, Marcia Helen Middleton, ...

at Mausoleum Square. Her funeral marked the first time the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

adjourned for the funeral of a woman. The mausoleum was moved to Oak Hill Cemetery in 1872 or 1873.

References

External links

New York Historical Society: Guide to the Van Ness-Philip Family Papers
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Ness, Marcia 1782 births 1832 deaths Marcia People from Washington, D.C. American socialites