Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-12-05
The Arlington Estate.

Gusts Lee, defendant, and Frederick kauh.
man Superintendent Of Arlington National
Cemetery and r. 2. Strong Captain L. S
Signal Corps, defendants in error, involv-
ing the title TO Arlington, including Fort
WEipple having been argued some weeks ago
in the [. S. Supreme Court, was decided, as
stated in yesterdays GAZETTE, in favor of
the heirs of General Lee. The action was
originally brought in State court against
Kaufman and Strong and La others to re-
cover the property. but before trial was re-
moved to the circuit court of the United
States, for the eastern district of Virginia
After such removal and before the trial, the
Attorney General Of the United States filed
suggestion, that the property in question
was occupied by the United States for gov
mental purposes, was being used by them as
q cemetery and as Il fertilization, and was
claimed by them as their property, under
title OF record which was conveyance in
pursuance ola sale made under the act of
1867, and the amendments thereto, for the
collection Of direct taxes and for other pur-
poses, which conveyance was set forth in
full i'll such suggestion demurrer was filed
to such suggestion, and upon argument this
demurrer was overruled.
ance relied upon by the United States was
made. were under acts of Congress Of Au-
gust 18th, 1861, imposing direct tax of
$4,000, 600 and June It'll, 1867 for the col
lection Of direct taxes in the insurrectionary
districts which provided for the appoint
mcnt Of n board OF three tax commissioners
to execute the provisions ofthe law, and de-
cared the principles upon which the differ
ent parcels Of property should be assessed
by such commissioners, making the tax and
Il penalty Of 30 per cent. a lien upon the
property, and providing that the owner of
lands could discharge such lien by pay.
mcnt of the tax within sixty daysaiter the
amount should be 50 fixed by the said com
missioners
This property, consisting OIL, 100 acres,
was owned before the late war by Mrs.
Mary \. r. Lee, the wife ofGeneral Robert
+. Lee, who commanded the confederate
forces, it having been wiled to her by her
father the late George Washington Parke
Gusts: the adopted son Of the first Prcsi-
dent Of The United States. The man
sion was erected in 1901, or rather it was
then commenced, but it was not complete
ly flushed till after the war Of 1912. Elk
cellent taste was shown in the selection of
the site, its location being on the brow of Il
hill some two hundred feet above the Poto-
mac and distant perhaps half Il mile west Of
the river The view from the portico is Il
charming one. The mansion is built on the
plans of the Paestum near Naples and has
frontage of ITO feet with a magnifi.
| cent portico, 60 feet long and % feet deep,
the pediment of which is supported by eight
Doric columns. (siN OH the 'front.' five feet
in diameter, Of brick, succeed. Through
the centre OF the mansion runs a large hall.
and on either side are two spacious rooms,
with lofty ceilings. In the wings arc conve-
nlently arranged suites Of rooms. To the
west OF the mansion were the outhouses. of
a style in keeping with that of the mansion
In antc-belum days the proprietor, Mr..
Custis, even when old age had laid its
leavy hand upon him, was wont to give his
personal supervision to the management of
the place. He entertained in a princelv
manner those who called at his house.
The estate has passed through but few
hands since the time the Indian parted with
1t. IL was included in q grant Of 5000 acres
fronting the Potomac, extending from Hunt
ing creek to the Little Falls, made by Sir
William Berkeley, then Governor of Virgin
ia, to Robert lIowsen, in October, 16G9-the
consideration being the transportation of a
number of persons to the colonies. In the
same year HoWscn, for and in consideration
OF six hogsheadS of tobacco. conveyed these
lands to John Alexander.
The AleXanders who came over from
England were John, Gerard and Robert,
and in the early part oithe last century
their descendants were quite numerous.
The paternal' estate, afterwards Gen. Hun
ter,s place. at Four-Milc run, was called
Abingdon. Alexandria was then known as
Belle Haven, and in compliment to the fam
lily the name was changed to Alexandria.
4 portion Of this grant-a farm Of about $50
acres adjoining Arlington on the south-is
in possession Of Mr.. Columbus Alexander
to-day, having never passed out of the fam
lily. The part now known as Arlington
the subject Of the suits--came into the pos
session Of John Parke GUSTS on Christmas
day, ITS, by virtue of the following agree
ments:
Ii is this day agreed between Ger Alexander of Fair.
fax county. Of the one part, and Robert Adams for
John Parke Gusts Of The other that the said Gerard
Alexander will convey to the said John parke Gusts
ms heirs and assigns forever all the land lie is entitled
to between the line called North Six lin uowsens pa
tent agreeable TO plat and recovery made lately in the
General Court and Potomac river. supposed to he 1000
acres for the of eleven thousand pounds currency
Possession will he given the 18th of December IT'S
Tor the performance Of which the above parties have
bound themselre. i'll one thousand pounds
lslgnedl GERARD ALEXANDER.
Witness: PHILLIP ALEXANDER.
-, FAIRFAX. Dec %. l778.
Then received of John Ptre Gusts the sum of eleven
thousand pounds Virginia currency in full trac,
oil and supposed one thousand acres living on Potomac
river, and in the county Of Fairfax
lSigned:l GERARD ALEXANDER
This John Parke Gusts was the great
grand father Of the plaintin'in these cases,
and was one of Washington's aides during
the revolution. He died ut the White
House. on the Pamunkey river having con-
tractcd the camp fever at Yorktown. No
vember 9Th, ISL, leaving widow and two
small children Washington having at his
deathbed promised to adopt the children.
subsequently, Washington married the widow
and the children grew up to maturity at Mt.
Vernon. After the death of Washington
in 1899, and Mrs. Washington in May, 1901, |
Mr.. Gusts. who was the youngest child, |
having just arrived at manhood, remained |
at Mt. Vernon long enough to settle the es-
tate and removed to Arlington
In 1904, Mr. GUSTS married Miss Mary A. |
Fitzhugh who dispensed the Inequalities OF |
the house for nearly fifty years, her death |
taking place in April, 1858. and Mr. Gusts
died October 10th, 1857. aged 76years. Mrs |