In 1884 , Hay and Adams commissioned architect Henry Hobson Richardson to construct houses for them on Washington 's Lafayette Square ; these were completed by 1886 . Hay 's house , facing the White House and fronting on Sixteenth Street , was described even before completion as " the finest house in Washington " . The price for the combined tract , purchased from William Wilson Corcoran , was $ 73,800 , of which Adams paid a third for his lot . Hay budgeted the construction cost at $ 50,000 ; his ornate , mansion eventually cost over twice that . Despite their possession of two lavish houses , the Hays spent less than half the year in Washington and only a few weeks a year in Cleveland . They also spent time at The Fells , their summer residence in Newbury , New Hampshire . According to Gale , " for a full decade before his appointment in 1897 as ambassador to England , Hay was lazy and uncertain . " Hay continued to devote much of his energy to Republican politics . In 1884 , he supported Blaine for president , donating considerable sums to the senator 's unsuccessful campaign against New York Governor Grover Cleveland . Many of Hay 's friends were unenthusiastic about Blaine 's candidacy , to Hay 's anger , and he wrote to editor Richard Watson Gilder , " I have never been able to appreciate the logic that induces some excellent people every four years because they can not nominate the candidate they prefer to vote for the party they do n't prefer . " In 1888 , Hay had to follow his own advice as his favored candidate , Ohio Senator John Sherman , was unsuccessful at the Republican convention . After some reluctance , Hay supported the nominee , former Indiana senator Benjamin Harrison , who was elected . Though Harrison appointed men whom Hay supported , including Blaine , Reid , and Robert Lincoln , Hay was not asked to serve in the Harrison administration . In 1890 , Hay spoke for Republican congressional candidates , addressing a rally of 10,000 people in New York City , but the party was defeated , losing control of Congress . Hay contributed funds to Harrison 's unsuccessful re-election effort , in part because Reid had been made Harrison 's 1892 running mate
the Republican convention
1888 Republican National Convention
John Hay