Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-10-04
WAsHiNGTON's BIRTHPLACE IN

From its associations, and from its
natural beauties as well, the place was
doubly interesting. Standing half a
mile from the junction of Pope's Creek
with the Potomac River, it commanded
view of the Maryland shore and Of the
course of the Potomac for many miles.
The house was a low-pitched, single
storied frame dwelling, with four rooms
on the first floor, and huge chimney
at each end on the outside-the style
of the better class of houses OF those
days. A stone placed there to mark its
site by G. w. Z. Custis, bore the SIM
pie inscription
"IIere, on the lth of February, %.
S.,) 1892, George Washington was
born"
Such was its appearance in 1884 or
1885, when Howe visited it. Its pre-
sent condition may be gathered from
what the writer of the letter in response
to the London querist has to say about
the site itself, that being all that is left
of a place so memorable and so deserv-
ing of perpetuation:
Il have had no opportunity to obtain
the sketch / promised you. Indeed,
there is virtually no material TO make
sketch of. The birthplace is now sim
ply an old field lyiny waste, with indis-
tinct vestiges Of a human habitation:
An old chimney stands which belonged
to an outhouse (kitchen or laundry
some remains of cellar, and the toun-
dations of house in which tradition
states Washington was born. There
was a stone slab, with a simple inscrip-
tion. placed on the spot some sixty years
ago by G.. w. p. Gusts, to denote the
place, but it was long ago removed
from its original position, mutilated and
broken, so that only fragment re
mains.
That place Of such interest-one
might call it sacred-should be left to
decay and obliteration is no new thing
in Virginia. Enemies might well de
clare that neglect of her mighty dead
is characteristic of the old common
wealth. The truth is, she has great
many dead to care for, and of late years
all her time has been absorbed In the
care of her living. Bnt something has
been done, or attempted to be done, to
rescue Washingtons birthplace from
oblivion. AS far back as 1858 an act
was passed by the General Assembly of
Virginia, accepting from Lewis Wash
ington a grant of the "site of the birth
place of George Washington, and the
homes and graves Of his progenitors in
America" and appropriating five thou
sand dollars ''to inclose the same in an
iron fence" etc. Hon. Henry A. Wise,
Governor of Virginia at the time this
act was passed, entered with zeal and
alacrity upon the work, the execution
of which was entrusted to him by the
egislature-went in person to West
moreland, examined carefully the sites,
negotiated with the owner of the ada
cent farm for right Of way, adopted a
plan for the Enclosures and tablets. and
began correspondence with mechanics
and artisans at the North with a view
to the speedy completion Of the work,
and-iust then his term expired, the
war soon followed, and the matter was
of course dropped.
The money appropriated, together
with the accrued interest, is now III the
treasury CT Virginia, and although Gov.
Walker in his late message did not
bring the subject to the attention OF the
Legislature, the long-delayed work will
be consummated sooner or later, and "a
neat iron fence" with a few plain slabs
will be erected on the hallowed spot.
But it strikes the present writer that
five thousand dollars, or even ten thou
sand dollars, form rather a small sum
for such an object, and that "a neat iron
fence" is not exactly the thing that the
place and its memories demand. But
not dollar more may be expected OF
Virginia at this time. She owes too
much, and has too little. If one of the
many Northern gentlemen who are Law
ishing their hundreds Of thousands on
colleges and other charities would come
to estmoreland and put something a
little better than a "neat iron fence
around the birthplace of Washington,
he would do noble deed for himself
and for both sections of hislately estran-
ged country.-Lippincot's Magazine.