Pedro Pablo Casanave , also known as Peter Casanave, was a prominent Spanish merchant and politician who served as the fifth mayor of Georgetown and Master Masonic. He was also a member of the Georgetown Corporation's Common Council. Casanave is particularly remembered by directing the construction and having laid the Cornerstone in what later became in the White House on October 12, 1792. Although we have little data about him.
Biography
Casanave was born in Navarra, Spain in about 1766. He was the thirteenth son of a lawyer and trader of Navarra. He emigrated in Georgetown in 1785, having only 200 pounds and being almost unable to speak English. However, before long, Casanave established his first business, a shop dedicated to the sale of salt, rum and sugar, as well as oil, pork meat, pomatum, and powder for the hair. The establishment of the store, established despite his limited money, was probably carried out with the economic help of his friend George Washington, whom he knew through his uncle, Juan de Miralles. In 1790, Casanave founded a nail manufactory, which become in the first company of its kind in Georgetown, and a Night Dancing-School for men. In addition, Casanave became in real state agent, selling soils in the modern Georgetown. Between late 1790 and 1793 he became an "agent" and sponsor students who studied at Georgetown College. There, he was administrator of the funds of the students, covering their expenses. When students had not sufficient resources to pay for their studies, Casanave paid them with his own money. Apparently, Casanave perfected his still deficient English at this college, and later one of his sons, also called Peter, studied there. In late of 1792, Casanave laid the Cornerstone and directed the construction in what later became the White House. Thus, on 12 October of this year, after presiding the ceremony of laying of the first stone of the “House of the President”, he and the inaugural procession came to a solar and Casanave laid the Cornerstone for the White House's construction and pronounced a Masonic prayer. On top of the cornerstone a bronze plaque was established, in which can be read: The first stone of the President's House was laid the 12th day of October 1792, and in the 17th Year of the Independence of the United States of America. In 1793 he joined the Georgetown's Corporation Common Council and, the following year, he was elected mayor of Georgetown, thus being the fifth person to hold the position. He died in 1796. Although we do not know exactly how old he was at this time, on base on some testimonials about their participation in the inauguration of the President's House, he must have been about thirty years old.
Personal life
In September 1791, after becoming real state agent, he married a Catholic girl from Georgetown, Ann Nancy Young, whose father, Notley Young, was a prominent businessman and merchant of the city, putting the sale of soils. The family of Nancy Young was one of the more important families of Maryland. Casanave and Young lived on a propriety, then called "Casanovia", at a mansion house located in near of modern Delaware Avenue, in Georgetown. Casanave and Young had two children: Peter and Joane Casanave. Possibly his real name was not Casanave, since the few surviving sources indicate his surname as Casaneva, Casenave, Cazenave and Casanova. Apparently, Casanave was catholic and freemason, serving as Masonic Master of the Maryland Lodge nº9.
