David "Davy" Burnes,[1] his surname is also spelled Burns (1739–1799),[a] made a fortune selling his land to help create the City of Washington. The White House, South Lawn, The Ellipse, and part of the National Mall sit on land that Burnes once owned.
He fought in General Edward Braddock's army during the French and Indian War (1754–1763) and in the Revolutionary War. Farming was his primary occupation, he was also a magistrate, justice of peace, and overseer of highways. His daughter Marcia (Burnes) Van Ness, the wife of a John Peter Van Ness, inherited his estate.
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