The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-11
THE OLD CAPITAL.
"REMINISCENCES RECALLED BY 4
VISIT To VILLA uSBURG.
Ola Bruton Parish Church and Church
ward Work of Reclaiming and Re
stones-OId Powder Horn and College.

NV oNtf DoTH anu Aotltkfs
Anything written about Williamsburg,
The old Colonial Capital of Virginia. Is
invariably read with interest, no matter
how often 1t may have been reiterated,
or how frequently the story may have
been told. The place is 50 full Of classic
associations; so thoroughly uniies the
past with the present centuries: j. so
venerable in appearance, and has furnish
ed material for so many works of fact rs
well as fancy, that II is invested with so
peculiar a halo Of romance as TO render
the repeated legends and traditions ofthe
town objects of u1enGing attraction.
But few of the ancient landmarks Of this
memorable relic Of the days Of ROYALTY
and chiyalry in Virgia.a remain. he old
BrutOn Parish church and c%Lurchyard,
the officers houses at classic and time
hon0red William and Mary college, the
old powder magazine, and an occasional
private dwelling being about all that are
left. The old churcbyaTd, however, is Of
itself an object which must always prove
OF absorbing interest 10 the visitor. In
il are tOmbs long antcdating the revOlu-
ton while from the earliest settlement
Of the colony to the present day it has
become the last resting place Of many
hundreds OF sons of the Old Dominion
Indeed so numerous have been the burials
within its grounds that it is now imposs-
IDLE to dig "A fresh grave anywhere within
It's limits without disturbing the bones OF
some one who had previously found a
narrow home in the same locality
At,ILEST RECORD.
A study of the old tombs with their
quaint epitaphs, mostly inscribed in Old
English, gives quite an accurate record
Of the lives Of the inhabitants Of the
town from It's very inception. Some
are so defaced by time and covered with
the moss and mould OF centuries as 10 be
nearly imperccptible, while others speak
with silent tongue OF the virtues AMI
noble traits Of men long since forgotten,
but whose names their friends, NJ the
time, no doubt, fondly hoped and thought
would be, by this means, transmitted to
remOtest postcrily.
GOD WORK
Bat a cOOl work is being carried on bv
the ladies Of Williamsburg in renewing
these old and eliaced inscriptions and
epitaphs, and in repairing and restoring
the dilapidated slabs and monuments.
Under The active leadership Of Mrs. Cvn-
lhia Tucker Coleman they have formed
an association with this object in view.
and, with The assistance OF interested
friends, have already entirely renovated
a number Of ancient tOmbs. thereby
bringing them back 20 the identical ap
pearance they presented when nrst erect
ed, in some cases more than two hundred
years ago. This work has been going on
now for about q year and is still progress
ing. As the necessary funds are received
II will be kept up until all are reclaimed.
A NOTED OHB
In this connection ii is appropriate to
mention a noted tomb, sadly in need of
restoration, and which the bar of Vir-
GINA should make the object of their
special care. This is the grave OF Ed
wardus B~aradall," whose epitaph, now
scarcely decipherable, is in Latin, and
tell- how he was most learned in the
law, and how he had prepared the first
volume Of Virginia law reports ever
published in the State. Ii ought 10 be- a
matter of pride with the legal prOfes.
sion Of the Commonwealth to see that
the necessary means are forthcoming 10
rehabilitate this time-hOnOrci reminder
of a worthy ami useful life.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
The work Of improving and renewing
the old churchyard in other ways j. also
contemplated, and a number o. entirely
new monuments are To take the place of
various old ones. This has been done
in the case of Mr.. Page the found
er Of that well known Virginia family,
one of his descendants having supplanted
the original slab over his remains with q
handsome monument. \ movement is
also on foot to erect suitable monument
90 the memories of the member, of the
Tyler family there inferred, and Mr..
Coleman is now arranging for tine con
of 70 memorial tone OF stones
I'D The Confederate SolGiers many of
them unknown who now lie there in
graves, marked ONLY y lonely mounds,
where Acsvcs tletuff To- macy mould
heap
THE Old POWDER HoHN.
4 whole volume might bc written ON
hi, Bruton parish churclyard. and the
old church alone, but space iorb.ds ii
" III not DO 10 close, however. AN article
On Williamsburg Without mentioning the
'Old Powder Ilora.' one of the oldest
of colonial days in The place.
This was bliit rs u powder magazine by
Governor SpottswoOd, and STAGE is er~c
ion, has been put % va-iou- uses. In
utc bolgm days it was used a. a Baptist .
church, whose walls have echoed many
4 Sunday with the tones Of that quaint,
eccentric, but popular preacher, Servant
ZONES. Il was afterwards Ito our shame be
| said converted into a stable, {
md was SO used until q short time .
lgo, when its crumbling walls made .
I unsafe to longer keep animals
herein. 1t is now said that a Chicago
indicate are contemplating its purchase
md removal TO that city, but such
Dissertation should never be per
The State should buy il,
md after putting it in repair, enclose
: with an iron fence, and keep
{ as an object of yeneration. That
; what a New England State would do
luQcr similar circumstances