The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-21
GEORGE wAsHINGToN's MOTHER.

The Homestead in Frederick sburg, Where
Her Famous Son Used to Visit Her. -
Frederick Daniel. in Harpers' Magazine
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 con-
tains only two rooms and dark hall on the
ground floor and one small attic ROOM reached
by 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 fire place, and the mar
row windows carry one back at sight to the olden
time. The foundation, partly of brick and partly
of large stones, is remarkably solid for such
slight superstrueture. clad in narrow strips
roof, matched with round pointed shin
giles, and over which rises a tall
brick chimney, is steep on the street side, and
sloping to the rear in the form of a shed over
diminutive Kitchen" The garden formerly
embraced the adjoining Ave blocks, now built
over The modern coat Of paint given the old
house at first leads one to doubt its antiquity,
but closer inspection, within and without soon
attests it's great age The genuine structure
has been joined to two-story building with
ample porch, from which the entry is now made
to the corridor of the Washington mansion.
The house as it looked in 1885, according to
picture on an old map hanging in one of the
hotels, tallies with its present appearance. 1t
is occupied by small family, the members of
which are occasionally called upon to show its
points to patriotic strangers The present ten
ants wife, when exhibiting it to U.S. pointed to
thelcorner near the window in the front room
and remarked ut was right there in that corner
that George used sometimes to sit on bench
and straighten out has mothers accounts That
Mrs. Washington was a dlligent worker is at
tested by both oral and written memoirs. She
attended in person to her garden and dairy, milk
ing and chuFaing with her own hands, but the
statement that she sold milk, butter and eggs is
erroneous, both because there was no market
Co., klosO :~ok he a,,1 oI,o
was under no need of making money, being al
ways kept well supplied by her son George
never more dutiful than in his conduct toward
her. Before, during, and after the Revolution
airy war it was his frequent practice to visit her
in this famous little house During his
visits, when a young man, dancing parties
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 Ininuet or the more lively Virginia
reel" to the music of single negro fiddler. At
one of these parties young belle was honored
with the Generals hand for dance. As he led
her out on the floor he remarked, II didn't know
/ had such pretty black eyed cousinw This
young partner, when an old lady, would fondly
boast of this triumph and putting her hands to
her eyes, smilingly say: "And they are bright
yeti" The old lady was evidently pleased to pct
ure herself IS OF the day when Washington
danced with her.
On one occasion during the Revolution Wash
ingten called and, finding his mother working
in the garden, went out to greet her Looking
up, and discovering him coming toward her. she
laughingly exclaimed: well, George haven't
they caught your His reply was to hand her a
bag of silver, commodity scarce in that era of
Continental paper, and then to escort her back
into the house for chat An old citizen of
Fredericksburg, who witnessed this interview,
and frequently heard her give expression to her
sentiments during the war. used to say of her:
s'She was high old piece George got great
deal of his character and majesty from her. She
was looked upon as leaning to the Tory side in
in politics Doubtless, in the beginning. it was
as grievous in her eyes to see her favorte son in
the American army as it would have been to
have seen him in King Georges navy-from en-
tering 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 mo-
ments were passed. Twenty years ego q mill
tary company paraded in the streets on every
22d of February, invariably commencing the
days festivities by marching TO the front Of the
house and firing salute The ceremony is now
omitted, of course, as there is no parade OF
the soldiery on that day. The death of Mrs
Washington, which occurred several years be-
fore that Of her ilusfFious son, was the occasion
Of an immense turnout of the citizens in the
neighboring counties and villages. The funeral
was a very. plain one, entirely adapted TO the