Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1865-07-27

This portico having decsyed, has been replaced
| by an exact copy of the old The mansion Is two
/ stories high, Of wood finished In imitation OF
| freestone, and painted white. Fourteen small
windows, with the old-fsshioned dminutive panes
OF glass, lcok out upon beautifully sloping lawns.
and down upon the river from an elevation of
two hundred feet above the river level. There
are six rooms on the floor with spacious hall
| running through the centre, from east to
west The north room is the large dining hall, In
which Is the exquisite marble mantlep!ece,wro
in Italy, shipped on an English vessel during the
French Revolution. captured by the French, and
promptly forwarded by the French Government
when Lafayette made known that It was pres
ent from an American wine merchant, resident in
Marseiles, to Washington. In this room are also
the doublebanked harpschord shaped like
modern fquare piano-a wedding present 10 his
| adopted daughter, Nelly Custis the tripod which
served Washington In all his surveys, and the
large set of matched mahogany dining tables
The dining hall opens at either end into an east
and west parlor in one Of which Is an old, dilap
dated, large globe, and in the other an old sofs.
The key OF the Bastile--a present from Lafayette
still hangs In the glass case in the hall and, by
lis side, the silhouette taken from life by lady
In Philadelphia. The library-room, In the south
end, is occupied by Miss Tracy, the accomplished
and faithful agent Of the Mount Vernon Assocls.
tion. A bust Of ashington, cast In plaster by
Houdon, and another of Lafayette, facing each
relics. The bookcases, built into the wall, with
glass doors, fully occupy one side Of the large
room. Over this apartment, In small bedroom,
the great and good man died. A bedstead, said
to be an exact copy Of that on which he died, Is
the only article In the chamber. The family pic
lures were nearly or quite sll at Arlington, and
we're taken to Richmond by General Lee The
celebrated pitcher portrait, upon the back OF
which was inscribed the beautiful eulogy, and
left in the mansion by an unknown hand, was
carried away by John A. Washington, and Is Ia
the possession Of that family.
The long low row Of brick quarters still stand as
they have for thirty or forty years, since they
were partially destroyed by fire. In this row
Washington had his blacksmith and carpenterirg
establishments, and here now live the two old
colored servants of whom mention has been made
| as the servants that came here sixty years ago
with Anne Blackburn, the wife Of Bushrod Wash.
ington.
The Ladies Mount Vernon Association" II il
well known, made their purchase In 1855 and
had made the last pay yment Of $4,000 upon the
eve Of the rebellion. The association had ex.
| pended also $4,000 in improvements, in addition
| TO paying the 100000 purchase money. Much
| still needs to be done, and the large amount Of
| funds at thstime accumulating from the throngs
| OF visitors, who pay an entrance fee each Of %
cents, will do much for putting the national shrine
and preserving II in proper condition.
The scourge OF the rebellion stayed its desola-
The tomb Of Washington was held sacred on both
/ sides.
Pohick Church, where Washington worshipped
till the close OF the Revolution has not escaped 50
/ well. The last discourse In II was disunion ha
| rangue by an itinerant Methodist preacher on a
Sabbath near the opening Of the war The ancient
edifce is now shell; not window, door, nor the
smallest fragment Of the pews pulpit, nor goor are
| 10 be seem II was used early in the war by SOL
ders for shelter, and later was turned into stable
The ancient tombstones Of the abandoned grave.
yard are lying and leaning around, and desolatlon
is painted in all its ssddest forms upon the scene
| The old Pohick Church was erected near this some
| one hundred and fifty years ago. This was erect
ed in l772, and Washington was the chief contrbu.
tor in its erection. To this church for years Wash.
ington regularly repaired, some seven miles, al.
lowing no company to keep him from the Sabbath
| service. The pew doors OF Washington and the
great George Mason had been carried away as re-.
| lies before the wsr The brick walls alone now
| remain