The “Obstinate Mr. Burnes" and His Cottage

When Congress decided on the location of the new nation’s capital in 1790, George Washington was charged with negotiating for and acquiring the land on which Washington, DC now sits.  At that time, the land in the ten square miles was then owned by 19 separate proprietors.  Washington was successful in negotiating with 18 of those proprietors, but the land he was most interested in belonged to David Burnes. 

Burnes was a third generation land owner in Washington.  His grandfather, David Burnes I, a Scotsman, was born around 1690 and acquired the first tract of land, which comprised the southern grounds of the White House, where the old Treasury, Navy and War Buildings once stood (see “The First Executive Office Buildings”) in 1721.  In 1730 and 1732, he purchased two more tracts of land where the Ellipse is now located.  David’s son James added to the holdings by purchasing four more tracts of land between 1754 and 1771.  About 1756, he constructed a cottage on a narrow strip of land a…