Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1865-08-17
From the National Intelligsncer.l
Mount Vernon--Its History, Proprie-
tors, Relics, "reminiscences and
Present Condition.


largely patronized. while multtudes are daily 60
ing thither BY land conveyances. The trong of
soldiers thither is especially very numerous. The
distance from Washington is fifteen miIes-about
nine below Alexandria.
At the death OF General Washington, in 1899,
the Mount Vernon estate comprised several thou
sand acres of land in solid body. extending many
miles on the Potomac river. A large part OF it
was under tillagc. 1t was divided into five farms,
each cult 'ated by its own negroes. and the whole
under general superintendent, and all under the
careful Inspection of the great chief himself His
own negroes numbered one hupdred and twenty;
his wises were as many more. Wheat, corn and
tobacco were the chief products of the estate, to-
bacco b eing, however, much less cultivated in the
latter years of his life than in earlier times. Upon
the esate there was fine two-story stone corn
and -four mill, the remains oil which still visi
Bile on Dosue Greek, up which fitboats came
alongside the mill. The water to carry the mill
was brought in race some mile anG a half from a
"iumblipg dam up Dogue Run. The old mill
house is still in good conditions, and is occupied by
a coored family. Near this mill was also his dis
tlery There wsre also brick yard. carpenter
establishment. and blacksmith shop-the estate
forming. iL fact. sort OF village.
Originality the Mount Vernon estate consisted
of one-haf of five thousand acres assigned to
Wsshineton's great grandfather who, in GENUINE
ton with Nicholas Spencer patented il from Lord
4
the father OF Washington assigned This tract to his
elder brother, Lawrence. who came here and
erected the mansion in l743, naming it in honor
OF Admiral Vernon, under whom he had ST rived as
Captain in colonial regiment, in the West Indies
in l740. Lawrence died in 1852. leaving wife,
the daughter OF Sir William Fairfax, OF BcfTOir,
and one child-a daughter; and. on the demise of
of this daughter without issue, soon happened,
the estate fell to George. who had been much
inmate in his family
Ia his WILL Washington divided his estate into
three parts. The mansion, with four thousand
acres, lett 10 his nephew, Bushrod Washing
ingtOu. an Associate Judge OF the United States
Supreme Court AT the death of Mrs Washing
ton, in lotl, Judge Washington became proprietor
OF Mount Vernon. and continued there till his
death IN l-29. Two of the old servants, still on
TIE estate. there with him, belonging TO his
wife, Anne, dIush htcr of Coonel ThOmis Black
burn. Two OF General WlShington's servant.
still survive. also residing some three miles from
Mount Vernon. Judge Washington. having no
children, lett tho eSt,t TO his nephew. john a
Wasl inziOr, from whom the Ladies' Mount Yer
non Association purchased the two hunGred acres
upon which the mansion and tomb. for SON.
600. Two thousand acres were wilied by Wash
ngton To Two other cnIbtrs OF Ire Washington
family and he residue upwards OF two thousand
acres including the fine Woodland estate. Civ
eli to VI 1or Lawrence Lewis, a iavOrite nephew. i.
whose wife was the beautiful and cuti,a ated Nellie
Gusts, sr.ncchid of Mrs. Washington. and the
adopted daughter Of General Washington.
Major Lewis srected a splendid mansion at
Woodlawn III l>0j. "A Il cost OF S24 600. Major
Lewis, whose mother, Betty Washington, WAS the
sister OF the great chief, del at ArlingtOa, in
Ie-iI. and his vile died i'm 1912. The remains of
both. with those of daughter. the wife of Charles
W. Conrad, Flllmoro's War Secretary, being de-
posted in the Mount Vernon vault. Soon after
the death OF Maj 'r Lew is, the WOODLAND estate
WAS sold by his only son, Lorenzo, TO a colony OF
Quakcrs from New jersey, who still retain much
oi il, divided into farms. The Woodlawn man.
sion. with splendid farm of five hundred acres
surrounding it, belongs TO John Mason, E-q., who
came there from New Hampshire in 1850. The
mansion is of brick with slate root, and lofty
pillars, fronting the river upona cOmmandng sight,
looking down upon the whole Mount Vernon es-
tate. LorsEzo Lewis died some YEAR, ago in Clark
county. and the oih.r daughter, the wife OF Mr..
Butler, is living in Mississippi
John A. Washington went to Fauquer county,
with his family, in 1860, and purchased iirm
known ~ Wareland. His wife died suddenly,
soon af erward, and it Is we'll known that he fell,
a. colonel of rebel esiment. early in leGl. l-av-
ing family OF seven children. The Youngest two
being little boys, and the only mae children ev or
born at the Mount Vernon Man-ion. There are
some one thousand acres of the Mount Vernon es-
tate, belonging To the'e orphan children. lying in
close prox NIFTY the Mount Vernon Mansion
The Mount Vernon estate was probably never
under a finer state OF cultivation than it Is ut the
present time. Tie farmers have been shipping
manure in large quantities from this citv, this
son, and pihng il at all their landings along the
river, for future use.
Al he present time there are two thousand
GOvernn ent mules grazing upon different farms in
that section. These mules are separated into
squads FIVE hundred, and With fifteen mounted
men to control them, are put into heavy grass
field, kept closely together, and compelled to eat
clean "a they 90. A squad thus eats some more
than two acres OF the heaviest grass i day, for
which they pay five cents a head, or ent, five
dollars day tor the squad. The ground behind
them looks as though grass had grown there
this The grounds immediately around the
mansion and tomb, bear evidence OF care and
taste. The approach to the tomb and mansion,
from the river is highly picturesque and delight
iul. The appearance OF both the tomb and man.
sion has been familiar to all Americans in illus
trated books. from the childhood of most of those
who now read the daily press. We have seen thi.
sacred spot many times within the last thirty
years. and never saw it look better than now.
1t may be interesting to many who now Wis
iting the place for the first time. know thu. the
remains OF Washington were originally deposited
in the old vault which is pointed out to all visi-
tors. and in mahogany cnffin lined with lead
The vault was damp, and the wood was three
times rene wed before being placed in the recepta
Gle where they now repose. In 1881 the new
vault was erected, and the remains transferred
Philadelphia marble-worker propo 'ed to furnish
a marble sarcophagus, but on visiting the TOM de
cned to do so il il to be put into so damp n
vault. An ante chamber was, therefore, erected
in front of the vault, some dozen feet high, with
an arched gateway, and a gate formed of iror
rods. In this ante cha nber, on the right, is the
sarcophagus containing the remains OF Washing
ton, and on the left another precisely like il. con
, tanning the remains of Mrs. Washington; and i
= may be added that her remains have been removed
T. as often as those Of the great chief. The sarco
phagus is excavated from a solid block OF pur,
, white marble, and placed there in 1851
Within the vault proper the bodies Of man,
members of the " ashington family. The desigr
. upon Was ington's sarcoDhasus covers the mos
of the top lid, and consists Of shield, divided in
to thirteen perpendicular stripes, resting on tn,
national flag, and attached by cords TO spear EN-
bellished with tassels, forming back ground Z
the shield. The crest is eagle with open wing
perched upon the superior bar If the shield. an,
clutching the arrows and olive branch. Below th,
. armorial beArng is the name, deeply sculptured o
c "Washington." On the plain lid of the othe
sarcophagus are the words, in large letters "Mar
tha Washington" .4su
An addition, erected at one end of the mansion
after Washington's time. has been torn away, an'
the structure is now in the exact form when lef
by the Father OF his Country, Is is well know
that the mansion, as originally erected and lett b.