John Peter Van Ness was a United States Representative from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. Born in Ghent, New York

Ghent, New York

Ghent is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States, with a ZIP code of 12075. The population was 5,276 at the 2000 census. 2004 estimates put the population at 5,316.The Town of Ghent is centrally located in the county...

 to an old Dutch family. He completed preparatory studies at Washington Seminary and attended Columbia College

Columbia College of Columbia University

Columbia College is the oldest undergraduate college at Columbia University, situated on the university's main campus in Morningside Heights in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1754 by the Church of England as King's College, receiving a Royal Charter from King George II...

 in New York City. He studied law and was admitted to the bar

Bar (law)

Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...

, but never practiced.

Career

He was elected as a Democratic-Republican to New York's 6th congressional district

New York's 6th congressional district

New York's Sixth Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It includes most of Southeastern Queens including the neighborhoods of Cambria Heights, Edgemere, Far Rockaway, Hollis, Jamaica, Laurelton, Queens Village, Rosedale,...

 for
the 7th United States Congress

7th United States Congress

- House of Representatives :-Senate:* President: Aaron Burr * President pro tempore:** Abraham Baldwin , first elected December 7, 1801** Stephen R. Bradley , first elected December 14, 1802-House of Representatives:...

 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John Bird

John Bird (New York)

John Bird was a United States Representative from New York. Born in Litchfield, Connecticut, he pursued classical studies, graduated from Yale College in 1786, studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Litchfield...

 and took his seat on October 6, 1801. In April 1802

United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 1802

The 1802 United States House of Representatives elections in New York were held from April 27 to 29, 1802, to elect 17 U.S. Representatives to represent the State of New York in the United States House of Representatives of the 8th United States Congress....

, he was defeated for re-election by Federalist Henry W. Livingston

Henry W. Livingston

Henry Walter Livingston was a United States Representative from the state of New York and son of Continental Congressman Walter Livingston....

. On January 17, 1803, Van Ness's seat was declared vacant, because in 1802 he had been appointed by President Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia...

 a major of militia in the District of Columbia, and under the U.S. Constitution no member of Congress could hold any federal office. He then made Washington his home and was president of the second council in 1803. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel commandant of the first legion of militia in 1805, brigadier general in 1811, and major general in 1813; he was an alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

 of the city of Washington in 1829 and mayor from 1830 to 1834.

During the 1820s, Van Ness was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences

Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences

The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences was a literary and science institution in Washington, D.C., founded by Dr. Edward Cutbush , a naval surgeon...

, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson

Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...

 and John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...

 and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.
He was a friend of Washington Irving

Washington Irving

Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...

.

Van Ness was second vice president of the Washington National Monument Society in 1833 and was president of the commissioners of the Washington City Canal

Washington City Canal

The Washington City Canal operated from 1815 until the mid-1850s in Washington, D.C. The canal connected the Anacostia River, called the "Eastern Branch" at that time, to Tiber Creek, the Potomac River, and later the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal...

 in 1834, and president of the branch bank of the United States at Washington, D.C.; he was also president of the National Metropolitan Bank from 1814 until his death 1846.

Philanthopy

Although not a Catholic

Catholic

The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...

, donated the land on which the cornerstone of St. Mary Mother of God church, at the southeast corner of Fifth Street and H Street, N.W.

H Street (Washington, D.C.)

H Street is an east-west street in Washington, D.C.. It is also used as an alternate name for the Near Northeast neighborhood, as H Street is the neighborhood's main commercial strip.-History:...

 would be laid on March 25, 1846. The land donation was made with the stipulations that that Catholic worship should begin there within one year, ensuring the completion of the church on October 18, 1846, and that worship be regularly continued there. If Catholic worship were to ever cease at the location, the land would to revert to the Van Ness family.

Family

In 1802, Van Ness married Marcia Burns (1782–1832), a prominent philanthropist herself, and supporter of the orphan asylum.

The couple lived at the Van Ness House, constructed in 1813 to 1816, located at Constitution Avenue

Constitution Avenue

In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...

 and 17th Street, and 18th Street, N.W.

18th Street NW (Washington, D.C.)

18th Street Northwest is a prominent north–south thoroughfare in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C.Part of Pierre Charles L'Enfant's plan for Washington, the roadway today is one of the main streets in the Adams Morgan neighborhood . 18th Street also travels through downtown Washington and...

 It was demolished for the Pan American Union Building

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...

.

Death and Interment

Van Ness died on March 7, 1846 and was entombed, with his wife who had predeceased him on September 9, 1832, in the Van Ness Mausoleum

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:It was constructed in 1833, after the architect's death in 1826, initially for the wife of John Peter Van Ness who died in 1832. The mausoleum was originally on H Street, on the...

, which originally stood on H Street, N.W., between Ninth and Tenth Streets in Washington, D.C. In 1872, the Van Ness' were reinterred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown.