Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-03-19

DESTRUCTION or SUxnERsEAT Housg
sY FiRE-The total destruction BY fire of
Summerseat House. late the residence of
s. j. Cos'igin. on Wednesday, the IIth
instant. has called forth very general
expression of sorrow and of deep regret
that calamity so sudden and gricvous
should have bcfallen our aged fellow-citi-
zen and his family.
How the FIRE originated, whether from
parlor matches sccreted in creviccs by
rats. or from some spark carried beneath
the shingles by the storm OF wind raging
| on that day. will ever remain n subject
for conjecture and doubtful superstition.
4 dense smoke issuing from beneath the
roof was FIRST observed by man Of color
at work about the farm, who raised i'm
mediate alarm. and within three quarters
Of an hour thereafter the old homestead
was a heap OF ashes. There was little
time to save furniture or wearing apparel.
Some beds and blankets. dozen parlor
chairs. the land papers. few silver spoons
and pictures were saved from the famer.
Everything else went b. the board
Were the traditions and recollecticns
clustering around "Old homestcads" even
partially chronicled and preserved. they
would oftentimes afford materials for his
torians and noveiists. Summcrseat, 10
common with other old houses and land
marks, had its history and its memories.
1t was built in 1878 by Col J. Reeaer,
the great grandfather of Mr.. Costigin's
wife. after whose death it passed into the
possession Of DR.. GGstavus Brown, IN en-
inent aud learned physician Of lis day,
aud at Iii, death it became the property
aud residence OF the late Hon. Judge c.
Dorsey.
Oac evening in the month Of December,
1919, 4 horscman, travel stained and ex-
cited, reached Summcrseat, bearing g
summons from Dr. Brown, of Pert To-
bacco, TO bis relative DR.. Gustavus Brown
of Srmmerscat, requesting hts immediate
attendance at Mount Vernon, Va, where
General Washington was lying danger
ous'y i'll. Tie summons was immediate
ly obeyed. Tie Doctor made all haste 10
reach Mount Vernon, but on arriving a;
the ferry at Alexandria he learned that
sit was too late"-all was oyer-the L.
:. had lost its mos: cherished aud illus
trious citizen aud the world its greatest
observation-disclosures was dead" While
the home residence of the late Judge G.
Dorsey, Summerseat was a place of very
general resort, consequent on his politi-
cal, professional and Judicial relations to
, the people Of the State aud county.
in 1924, pending tue Presidential con-
test Of that year, in the dining-room Of
SummerScat Gas we have been informed)
the rough drafts Of the famous Coffin hand
bills we're dashed of. and were thence con-
veycd TO Baltimore and Annapolis. where
they were more pointedly moulded into
shape and form. They were soor scatter
ed abroad, aud it was thought at tina: time
to have contributed, in no small degree,
to the defeat Of General jackson, who was
( then candidate for the Presidency. Judge
I Dorsey having removed to Prince George
county, Summerseat became the residence
of Mr.. Costigin, whose sad lot it has been
/ to witness its sudden and fearful dcs.rue-
/ ton
In 1861 the only son of Mr.. c., in the
pride and glow of youthful manhood. left
his ancestral home and joined the First
Maryland Regiment, then serving in Vir-
ginia under the command of "Stonewall'
jackson. IL the Fall of 1862, on Gene
raj Lees retreat from Antietam. "he
bravely fighting fell" and in the month
Of January, 1868. his hcnored aud mutt
lated remains reached Summerseat. where
they were Inferred in the family burial
I ground, amid the tears and lamentations
/. Of large eoucourse of citizens from all
parts Of the county. During the war Sum
nierseai was frequently interviewed BY
the Federal (military) authorities, as II was
more than suspected OF being the resort
aud the not unfrequeul asylum aud stop
/ ping place Of Confederate soldiers, going
to and returning fren Virginia The dear
aud grand old house has persisted. For one
hundred years its doors have been open
TO the stranger and belated and weary
traveller, and its successive owners. from
its founder, Col. j. Reeder, to its last oe-
cnraat. Mr.. C., ever dispensed as far as
their varied and eacqaered fortunes per-
mi.ted, cordial and liberal hospitality.
There are many fam lilies Of note in 81.
Marys county whose traditions mingle. in
some degree. with those Of Sammersess
aud to such this notice Of aud tribute 10
The old Homestead viii no, be ungratefcl.
AID may perhaps be kindly appreciated BY
sfcm.