Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-08-10
MOUNT VERNON.
IT'S HISTORY, ITS PRoPRIEToRs, ITS RELICS, ITS
"REMINISCENCES, AND IT'S PRESENT CONDITION.

| "REMINISCENCES, AND IFS PRESENT CONDITION..
There has probably never been so great
a throng of visitors to the national shrine
in the history of the country as at the pres
ent time. The fine steamer running regu-
larly thither from this city is largely pat
ronized, while multitudes are daily going
there by land conveyances The throng OF
soldiers thither is especially very numerous
The distance from Washington is some fif
teen miles, about nine below Alexandria.
At the death of General Washington, in
1T99 the Mount Vernon estate comprised
several thousand acres of land in a solid
body, extending many miles on the Poto-
mac river. A large part of it was under
| tillage. 1t was divided into five farms,
each cultivated by its own negroes, with an
Overseer, and the whole under general
superintendent, and all under the careful
| inspection of the great chief himself His
own negroes numbered one hundred and
twenty his wife's were as many more
| Wheat, corn, and tobacco, were the chief
| products of the estate, tobacco being, how
ever, much less cultivated in the latter
years OF his life than in earlier times. Up
on the estate there was a fine two-story
stone corn and -four MILL the remains of
which are still visible on Dogue Creek, up
which tiatboats came alongside the mill.
The water to carry the mill was brought
III race some mile and "a half from "tum-
bling dam" up Dogue Run. The old mill
house is still in good condition, and is oc-
cupied by colored family. Near this mill
was also his distillery. There were also "a
brick-yard, a carpenter establishment, black
| 81 oh, +l., T.,
sort of village.
Originally the Mount Vernon estate con-
sisted of one-haIf Of five thousand acres as
signed to Washington's great-grandfather
whO in conjunction with Nicolas Spencer,
patented it from Lord Culpepper in 1910.
In the division of his estate, the father OF
| Washington assigned this tract to his ell
der brother Lawrence, who came here and
erected the mansion in l745, naming it in
honor of Admiral Vernon, under whom he
had served as captain in colonial regi-
ment, in the West Indies, in l740. Law
renee died in 1852, leaving a wife, the
daughter of Sir William Fairfax, of Bel
voir, and one child--a daughter and, on
the demise Of this daughter without issue,
as soon happened, the estate fell to George,
who had been much an inmate of his fam
lily.
In his will Washington divided his es-
tate into three parts The mansion with
four thousand acres, was left to his neph,
ew, Bushrod Washington, an associate JUS
tice of the United States Supreme Court.
At the death of Mrs. Washington, in 1901,
Judge Washington became proprietor of
Mount Vernon, and continued there till his
DEATH in 1929. Two of the old servants
still on the estate came there with him, be-
longing to his wife Anne, daughter of Col
Thomas Blackburn. Two of General Wash
ington's servants still survive, also residing
some three miles from Mount Vernon
Judge Washington, having no children, ,lef
the estate to his nephew, John A. Wash
ington, from whom the Ladies' Mount Yer.
non Association purchased the two hun
dred acres upon which are the mansion anG
the tomb, for 100000 Two Thousand
acres were willed by Washington to tive
other members of the Washington family
and the residue, upwards Of two Thousand
acres, including the fine Woodland estate
was given to Major Lawrence Lewis, ia
vorite nephew, whose wife was the beauti
full and cultivated Nelly Curtis, grandchil,
of Mrs Washington, and the adopted daugh
ter of General Washington.
Major Lewis erected splendid mansion
at Woodlawn, in 1905, at the cost of $24
: 900. Major Lewis, whose mother, Bett
/ Washington, was the sister of the grea
chief, died at Arlington in lS4l, and hi