New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-08-03
w.,h,ustou,s Birthplace in 1878.

| From it's associations, and from lis natural
beauties as we'll. the place was douoiy In.
| terest;ng Standing han 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-plcehed.
| single-stor!ed 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.
stone, placed there to mark its site oy u.
| w. =. Gusts, bore the simple inscription:
Here, on the eleventh of February 20.
ST. 1l32, George Washington was born
Sucn was its appearance in 1884 Or 1888.
| when Howe visited it. Its present oondi.
ton NAV be gathered from what the writer
Of the letter in response 20 the London
querst has 20 say about the site Itself. tina:
| being ali that is left of place so.memora.
tie and deserving Of perpetuation:
Il have had no opportunity to obtain tho
sketch l promised yeu. Indeed, there is
virtually no material to make sketch of.
The birthplace is simply an old field, lying
waste, with indistinct vest!ges OF a human
habitation. An old chimney stands, which
belonged to an clubhouse Kitchen or ,aun.
dry. some remains of a cellar, and the
foundation of house in which tradition
states Washington was born. TheSe was q
stone slab, with a simple inscriptions placed
on the spot some sixty years ago by g. w.
T. Gusts, to denote the place. but 1t was
long ago removed from its original position.
mutiiated and broken, SO that only frag'
ment remains.
That place of such interest-one might
call it sacred-shOuld be left to decay and
CELEBRATION is no new thing in Virginia.
Enemies might well declare that neg lect OF
her mighty dead is characteristic of tie old
common wealth. The truth is, she has a
great many dead to care for, ald OF late
years all her time has been absorbed il the
care of her living. But s3mething has been
done, or attempted to be done, 10 rescue
Washingtons birthplace from oblivion. AS
far back as 1853 all act was passed By the
General Assembly OF Virginia, accepting
from Lewis Washington grant OF the
''site OF the birthplace of George Washing.
ton. and the home and graves of his pro-
genitors in America" and appropriatlng
5000 Ito inclose the same in an iron fence,
etc. Hon. Henry A. Wise, Governor OF
Virginia at the time this act was passed.
entered will zeal and alacrity upon the
work, the execution of which was entrust-
ed to him by the Legislature. went in per-
son to Westmoreland. examined carefully
the SITES negotiated with the owner OF tha
ad jacent farm for right of way. adopted
plan for the Enclosures and tablets, and be-
gan correspondence with mechanics and
artisans at the North with view to the
speedy completion of the work, and Just
then his term expired, the war soon fol
lowed. and the matter was, OF course.
dropped.
The money appropriated, together with
the accrued interest, is now in the treasury
of Virginia. and although Governor Walker
in his late message did not bring the sub
ect to the attention of the Legislature, the
lOng-delayed work will be contaminated
sooner or later, and "a neat iron fence
with few plain sla bs will be erected on
the hallowed spot. But it strikes the pres
ent writer that $1,000. or even $4,000, form
rather small sum for such an object, and
that "a neat iron fence" is not exactly the
thing that the place and its memories de-
mand. But not dollar more may be ex.
pected of Virginia at this time. She owes
too much and has too little. II one OF the
many Northern gentlemen who are lavish.
ing their hundreds of thousands on cOleges
and other charities would come to West
moreland and put something little better
than "a meat iron fence" around the birth
place of Washington, he would do noble
deed for himself and both sections OF his
lately est-anged country.-Lippincott's far
A'iyuS..