Owners and Tenants, 1819-1956

• Decatur
• Hyde de Neuville
• de Tuyll
• Clay
• Van Buren
• Livingston
• Vaughn
• Gadsby
• Dallas
• Gales
• John & James King
• Appleton
• Orr
• Benjamin
• McBlair
• United States Army
• Edward Beale &
  Mary Beale
• Truxtun Beale
• Marie Beale

TIMELINE OF OWNERS AND TENANTS
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Baron de Tuyll (tenant, 1823-1826)

Susan Decatur’s second tenant was Russian minister, Baron de Tuyll. De
Tuyll presents an interesting but mysterious figure. A member of the Russian nobility, he had attained the rank of Major General in the Russian army. De
Tuyll also had the distinction of having an island named after him. Politically,
the Baron was a reactionary monarchist, and a supporter of the international political bloc known as the “Holy Alliance.” This alliance, which included all of the recently restored monarchies of Europe (with the notable exception of
Great Britain), dedicated itself to the restoration and preservation of the
ancien regime. Under the guidance of Austrian Chancellor Metternich and Russian Czar Alexander II, this bloc intended to restore Spanish power to the recently-freed Latin American countries.

De Tuyll’s original mission as minister was to win over President Monroe and the American government, and to gain their support for these international designs of the “Holy Alliance” and to advance the agenda of the Czar to
expand Russian colonies on the west coast of North America On this account, he singularly failed. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams responded to de Tuyll’s proposals with a warning that “we should contest the right of Russia to ANY territorial establishment on this continent.” The issue eventually factored heavily in President James Monroe’s December 1823 address to Congress, outlining the policy now known as the “Monroe Doctrine.”

The occupancy Baron de Tuyll stood in marked contrast to the de Neuvilles.
Not only was the Baron known in Washington as an antisocial recluse, but he also greatly angered Susan Decatur by owing her significant back rent and costing her the insurance policy on the house when he decided to build a greenhouse. Susan was relieved of this troublesome tenant in 1827 when he left Washington, due to worsening gout, a disorder of the joints. Many people believed that over indulgence in alcohol and rich foods caused gout, and De Tuyll apparently loved both. Indeed, it was generally said of de Tuyll that he “preferred eating to socializing.” On Washington and food, the Russian commented, "Washington, with its venison, wild turkeys, canvas-backs,
oysters, terrapins, &c., furnishes better viands [foods] than Paris, and only wants cooks."

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