James Maher

James Maher was born on April 11, 1792 in Ireland.¹ The exact timing of his move to the United States is unclear, but he likely arrived around 1815, first moving to Philadelphia.² Around 1834, he was appointed public gardener in D.C., a job that entailed maintaining the public grounds at the U.S. Capitol, the National Mall, and the White House, as well as planting trees along Pennsylvania Avenue. In 1855, Maher claimed that President Andrew “Jackson did not send for me without knowing who I was,” which suggests Maher had already gained a reputation as a skilled gardener in Philadelphia.³ The phrasing also suggests that President Jackson hired Maher for the job, but this cannot be confirmed with evidence from the actual time of his hiring. He could have instead been hired by William Noland, the Commissioner of Public Works in D.C. and Maher’s supervisor. Maher became a firm and outspoken supporter of President Jackson and the Democratic Party.⁴ 

At the White House, Maher worked closely with head gardener John Ousley.⁵ Maher planted trees on the White House Grounds, including silver maples that President Jackson requested to provide shade and protect the stables.⁶ Maher also purchased plants and gardening supplies for the White House.⁷ While working there, Maher became close with doorkeeper James O’Neil, a fellow Irishman, who included Maher in his will.⁸ Though Maher did not work full-time at the White House, he worked there intermittently, likely until his death in 1859.⁹

In addition to his White House work, Maher was also a successful businessman in the Washington, D.C. community. He owned a nursery, several taverns, and two hotels including the Globe Hotel from 1835 to 1844.¹⁰ Maher enslaved several people throughout his life in Washington, D.C.¹¹ In 1839, one of them, a sixty-year old man named Cyrus Jackson, was murdered. The newspaper report of his death suggests he likely worked at the Globe Hotel. Some suspected Maher for the death, though he was never charged with the crime.¹² Maher passed away on April 15, 1859, and is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C.¹³