He was one of the first commissioners of Columbus, helping to plan the original layout of the city.

Mary M., Contributor #48306257, kindly provided the following item:

NEWSPAPER ARTICLE published in the Columbus Daily Enquirer, Columbus, Georgia, on Sunday, March 27, 1938, on page 30

BROAD STREETS HERE LAID OUT AS HEALTH AID.

Dr. deDeGraffenried, One of Original Commissioners, Lived Here Many Years.

PHYSICIAN FRIEND OF DANIEL WEBSTER.

Home Occupied Present Site of Old Postoffice, Now Civil Building.

Edwin Louis deGraffenried, one of the commissioners who laid out the city of Columbus, was born on his father's estate in Lunenberg county, Virginia, June 4, 1798. Dr. DeGraffenried was a great grandson of Baron Christopher deGraffenried Landgrave, of Carolina, who brought over a colony of Swiss Palatines and settled New Bern, North Carolina.

Baron deGraffenried was described by Prof. Todd as one of the few who possessed a title of nobility in Locke's Great New American Order, and as the head of a plan of colonization and order of nobility which, as proposed, was the nearest approach to Locke's ideal that ever existed in America.

Here in 1825

In 1825 Dr. deGraffenreid moved to Columbus, Ga., being one of the five commissioners who laid out this city. At the time he came here the country was still infested with Indians.

Dr. deGraffenried was a graduate of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a scholar and distinguished physician. His achievement in the treatment of smallpox among the Indians gave him considerable fame.

He married Martha Shepherd Kirkland of Hillsboro, N.C. and had twelve children. Dr. deGraffenried was a warm friend of Daniel Webster and a congenial correspondence was carried on between them for years. His grandchildren have in their possession a letter and copies of his first works presented to Dr. deGraffenried by Mr. Webster.

The city of Columbus is indebted to Dr. deGraffenried for its wide streets. It was his suggestion as a physician that broad streets in a southern climate were necessary as a health measure and sanitary precaution.

Dr. deGraffenried died in Columbus December 7, 1871, and was buried in Linwood cemetery. His nearest descendants now living are his grandchildren, among whom are: Albert S. Waddell, Miss Elba Waddell and Mrs. M. B. Classon of Columbus, Mrs. John Warren of Columbus.

Old deGraffenried Home.

The deGraffenried home stood on the southeast corner of First avenue and Twelfth Street, now occupied by the old post office building, which is known as the Civil building.

The site was purchased by the government 46 years ago. In a newspaper account of the deal, appeared the following:

"For several days past only four giant chimneys of brick were standing to mark the place where Dr. deGraffenried built his home, the work of cleaning off the site having been pushed rapidly. These have been removed within the past day or two and the last trace of what was once the show house of Columbus totally disappeared." The old two-story building which stood directly on the street had become an eyesore to the younger generation of citizens, it was stated. To the older citizens, however, it was something more than a dilapidated house which was falling to pieces from old age. It was to them a landmark."