Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-05-04
THE BIRTH PLACE OF WASHINGTON

The BlklH PLACE Ot "AShlNtlON.
Gov ITise's yish 10 Wsstmore'and and the Burial
Place Of the WASHINGTON t'amiiy-lnt@csting
Scenes and' Remin,,ccncss.
correspondent Of the Dispatch gives the follow.
ing Interesting details of Governor WIsE's visit to
the county of Westmorelsnd, Va, for the purpose
OF examining The grounds Of the Wakefield estate
preparatory In carrying out the ohiec'a for which
Al appropriation of $4,000 "as made by the last La
| gplsure OF this State.
| WEsTMoRELASD CoCSTY, Va, April ~. 1853.
II il we'll known TO your readers that in February
| lI5i, Col Lewis w. Washington presented 10 the
State of Virginia, certain conditions. the ground
| mmprisng the birth place OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
md the graves OF ths Washington family on the
Wakefield estate in this county. This estate was sod
| n 1873 by Col. George e.. Washington. who derv.
I'd il from his father, William Augustine Washing.
toni TO John Gray, of travellers Rest" Stafford
county, reserving s,Ify feet Tquar- ot IN" ground
arnnnd the birth place and twenty .e! square around
the yault. Col Lewis w. Washington, son and
Ibs,r Al INV O: Col. GEO &. Washlngon1 therefor.
presanted these reservations Ito the mother State o
Virginia in perpetnity, on condition solely that the
lState require the said places (" he permanently
rosed with an iron t-Hce based on stone foundations
Together with anifsbe and modeat Though sHbstsn.
ItsD tablets 10 commemorate /" the rl-ng generation
ltha.e notable spots
Your r.aiers Ar. Also aware that Gov. Wise 40.
ceptad the donation, and addressed msisage TO the
II svislatura sskng An appropriation to comply with
m. conditions The request. after some delay. WAS
granted and the sum of IS UOO appropriated for the
purpoaes mentioned
| To-day therefore, Gov. Wlss arrived in this coun.
| ~ and WAS received at Leedstown by George W.
| Lewis E.a who conveyed him 10 his residence,
Clevmont come four miles distant The Governors
mission ia to survey the grounds upon the Wakefield
estate. preparatory to carrying out the objects tor
which tha appropriation was made. Al tha reQueat
.nkN nf obj a aiI
tho vat 10 the estate deferred until to morrow;
raouest which considering The laeneas Of the hour
and ,ha severity of the weather, the Governor was
mosr happy To comply with In the interesting fsml.
10 of Mr. Lewis the evening passed very happily,
and many pleasant "reminiscences Of the Washington
family were recounted by the intelligent host. W.
WE.rMoEELASD CouSrY, April %. 1858.
Tn. Temperature of fhs atmosphere this morning
wss ts some extent moderated. and after All excellent
braakTa il wac announced that carriages were IN
waiting to convey th. Governor and other guests to
Wax keheld, about slI miles distant. The drive
through the country pleasant and eIhi!araiing;
the beautiful farms either side of the road were
objects Of much interest IN hose accustomed 10 Inc
brcl walls and confined limits of city. and the luz
ursnt vegatati every where springing into life,
made the observer partske in the universal rejoicing
Of Nature, in this vernal seaaon Of tho year.
The term, "Athens OF Virginia" by which West
| moresnd county has been sometimes distinguished,
IL M, nappropriaeIy applied for within her borders
| we're horn some Of the moat renowned men whose
! Damaa appear the scroll ot iane Washington,
Richard Henry Lee and hls three brothers, Thomas.
! Francis and Arthur, General Henry Lee, James
| Monroe, and the late Judge Bushrod Washington
were natives Of Westmoreand.
After a charming ride the party arrived al wake
| Held and met with cordial reception from John L.
Wilson, E-q the present proprietor OF the estate
Before proceeding farther It is necessary to refer 10 the
| penealogy of the Washington family, in order that
the reader may fully comprehend the situation OF this
sacred spot.
Col. John Washington, who came with hla brother
N Anerica in 1857, settled the bank OF Bridges
crack a small inlet Of the Potomac, where lie thence
forth lived and where he died He had two Sons and
q daughter and ii to the second OF these hons,
! Javrence Washington. that the proprietor of the
Northern Neck Of Virginia granted tract OF ianh az
! the mouth ut Pop"'a creek In his will, which IL
dated arch llih 1898. Lawrence Washington Gays
~ pive the trac. ri land OH which now live" 10
| Iohn Washington Besides this bequest, others were
made 10 his second son Augustine and 10 hs daughter
| Mildred. John Washington, il aaams. subsequently
ranorad 10 Gloucester, and sold the Popea creek
| es,ste n Augustine, the father of GEORGE. Thus
we have traced the history OF the locality. down to
III. date of al event which mad deeply important
bearing upon me uure ue7t'hies VI the hant co'ony
and the republic
! When George Washington Wa. elk ysars Of age, the
family removed 10 their Staifurdshire estate opposite
Fredericksburg. and about this time Though there
some uncertainty IA to The exact period. the house
IN which he was born was destroyed by fire. There
!. at present on the spot chimney, which ID said to
have belonged to the kitchen, though il was proba
hly attached to house subsequently bnilt out o the
| old materials. Near by, and plainly visible, ia what
saems T, he had up cellar, with he chimney spots
distinctly marked, ahout sixty feet apart. Ihis i
donbfess the exact place whereon stood the house IL
which George Washington wss born
We may now return TO the psrty whom ws left al
Ar Wilson's residence. After an hour passed In
agreeable conversation, Gov. Wise, accompanied by
number OF gentlemen, started on horseback for the
nhir,b Mace" which IL located in a plougffbd field
abou, three. .fourths OF mile north eaat Of the pre-.
aant mansion. IL is on somewhat elevated plateau
| ehout fifty yards from the precpitous and crescent
sh.ped bank of Popes creek, which sweeps graceful
10 around and soon empties into the broad Potomac
fhe spot commands magnificent and extended view
of the Maryland shore and of the Potomac for many
| milss towards the Chesapeake Bay.
CISse by the chimney Of which We have oetor'
snoken ia luIurisn growth Of hes the parent s'ocl
of which lies decaying on the ground, while myriad
| of shoots have sprung up around H. Partially con
casled By tha.e. wa found granite sIab, broken II
three pieces. inscrihed-"H.rc on the llth Of Fetr;;H
| RI 1872. George Hnsbiugton aros born rh. sla'
was placed there ip June. 1915. by g. W. F. Custii
who accompanied by friends. went thther In hi
Yacht Lsdy Of the Lake. and after depositing To
| Stone returned on board and fred Federal sslut
from swivel which they had obtained for The pnr
pose.
| A considerable number OF ctiaens assembled at tn
place to-day, for the purpose OF paying their respect
70 the Governor and aiding him in marking the birth
place and the family vault for enclosure. The Cover
| nor rode about the ground and along the shore {
Pope's creek. in order TO obtain accurate idea
the locality, frequently consulting with his compau
ions upon the plan he proposed IN develop.
An sged citizen presenf, said that he distinctly r.
| meubersd when house occupied The spot ~nere u
| chimney now stands, and that 1t waS formerly use