Forrest-Marbury House

The Forrest-Marbury House, located at 3350 M Street, Northwest, in Georgetown, Washington, D.C., and not far from the Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Potomac River was the site of the March 29, 1791 meeting between George Washington and local land-owners. The meeting was to discuss the federal government's purchase offer for the land needed to build the new capital city. The meeting was a success, and the land acquisition deal was sealed shortly thereafter.

The house itself dates back to 1788, and is one of the most significant historic sites in the District of Columbia. It was originally home to Uriah Forrest, the mayor of the Town of George at the time.

The next owner was real estate investor William Marbury who occupied it in 1800 while buying up large tracts in the Anacostia area. His battle with President James Madison over promised federal appointments in 1803, resulted in the Marbury v. Madison decision (against Marbury) which established the crucial precedent, in a decision written for the U.S. Supreme Court by Chief Justice John Marshall, that the United States Congress cannot pass legislation which is contrary to the Constitution of the United States -- and establishing what is sometimes called simply "judicial review."

The house remained in Marbury's family throughout most of the nineteenth century. It was later used as both a residence and a commercial property, including the Crazy Horse rock and roll nightclub in the 1980s before being restored and remodeled in the early 1990s. In 1992 it was offered for lease as part of "Forrest Marbury Court". Since 2008 it has served as the offices of Embassy of Ukraine.

References

Sources

• Bergheim, Laura, The Washington Historical Atlas, Woodbine House, Rockville, Maryland, 1992, ISBN 0-933149-42-5, page 161.
• VERIZON, District of Columbia Yellow Pages, June 2007-2008, Idearc Media, page 161.