The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-03-07
The Old Washington Homestead
at FrederickSburg.
Harper's Magazine for March.

Hayper's Magazine for March. ~
The house in which Mrs. Washington
lived in the town is situated on Charles
Street, and is preserved almost as it was
in her day. 1t contains only two rooms
and dark hall on the ground-h floor,
and one small attic room, reached by a
winding staircase from the hall. The
walls, thinly plastered on the inside,
appear stained and dingy from age
the worn plank floors, the wide wooden
mantel and Fireplace, and the narrow
windows carry one back at sight to the
olden time. The foundation, partly of
brick and partly of large stones, is re-
markably solid for such slight super
structure, clad in narrow strips of
weather-boarding, lately re-painted;
the roof, thatched with round-polnted
shingles, and over which rises tall
brick chimney, is steep on the street
side, and sloping to the rear in the form
of shed over the exit into the large
garden, which contains dirninutive
''kitchen." The garden formerly en-
braced the adjoining five blocks, now
built over. The modern coat Of paint
given the old house at first leads one to
doubt its antiquity, but closer inspec-
tion, within and without, soon attests
its great age. The genuine structure
has been joined to two-story building
with ample porch, from which the en-
try is now made to the corridor of the
Washington mansion.
The house as it looked in 1888, ac-
cording to picture on an old map
hanging in one of the hotels, tallies
with its present appearance. 1t is oc-
cupied by small family, the members
of which are occasionally called upon
to show its points to patriotic strangers.
The present tenants wife, when exhib-
iting it to us, pointed to the corner
near the window in the front room and
remarked, cit was right there in that
corner that George used sometimes to
sit on a bench and straighten out his
mothers accounts" That Mrs. Wash
ington was diligent worker is attested
by both oral and written memoirs. She
attended in person to her garden and
dairy, milking and churning with hel
own hands; but the statement that she
sold milk, butter, and eggs is erroneous,
both because there was no market for
them in the neighborhood and because
she was under no need of making money,
being always kept well supplied by her
son George, never more dutiful than in
his conduct toward her. Before, dur
ing and after the Revolutionary war, it
was his frequent practice to visit her in
this famous little house. During his
visits, when young man, dancing par
ties were often given by his mother,
and at these all the bellies of the town
were invited to assist. The floors, not
then worn, were smoothly waxed, and
the front room was large enough to hold
several dancing couples at once, as they
went through the stately minuet or the
more lively "Virginia reel" to the
music of single negro fiddler. At one
of these parties a young belle was hon.
ored with the Generals hand for a
dance. AS he led her out on the floor
he remarked, 81 didn't know l had
such pretty black-eyed cousin !" This
young partner when an old lady would
fondly boast of this triumph, and put
ting her hands to her eyes, smilingly
say, "And they are bright yet - The
old lady was evidently pleased to pic
ture herself as on the day when Wash
ington danced with her.
On one occasion during the Revolu-
ton Washington called, and, finding
his mother working in the garden, went
out to greet her. Looking up and dis
covering him coming toward her, she
laughingly exclaimed, "Well, George,
haven't they caught your" His reply
was to hand her bag of silver, COM
modify scarce in that era of Continen-
tai paper, and then to escort her back
into the house for chat An old cit
izen of Fredericksburg who witnessed
this interview, and frequently heard
her give expression to her sentiments
during the war, used to say of her:
"She was high old piece George got
a great deal of his character and majes-
ty from her. She was looked upon as
leaning to the Tory side in politics" )"
Doubtless in the beginning it was as
grievous in her eyes to see her favorite
son in the American army as it would
have been to have seen him in King
Georges navy-from entering which
he had only been dissuaded by his high
appreciation of her devoted love.
Mrs. Washington lived very happily
in this little house, and within its walls
her last moments were passed. Twen-
ty years ago military company para
ded in the streets on every 22d of Feb
ruary, invariably commencing the days
festivities by marching to the front of
the house and firing salute. The GER
emony is now omitted, of course, as
there is no parade of the soldiery on
that day. The death of Mrs. Washing
ton, which occurred several years before
that of her illustrious son, was the occa-
sion of an immense turnout of the citi
zens in the neighboring counties and
villages. The funeral was very plain
one, entirely adapted to the expressed
wishes of the deceased lady, though
the procession to the grave she herself
had chosen-about half-mile distant
on the plain-was unavoidably large,
owing to the great respect and love
which all classes entertained for her.
B@One pleasant day last Summer a
Brooklyn minister repaired to seques-
tered part of Greenwood to enjoy a
quiet smoke by himself. A member of