Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-20
WESTINGHOUSE BIRTHPLACE.
What Remains to Make Wakefield
Historic document.
sor Of TIE EVENING STAR:


place Of Washington" and, after giving some
| the country to take suitable and early action to
mark the spot where once stood the house in
which Washington was born, and to provide .
wharf so that the place could be reached by
tourists and others who, prompted by patriot
ism or curiosity, might wish to see place
which should be dear to every person in whose
breast the love Of freedom and human rights
has found resting place.
Thus far "W.," the author of the article
above mentioned, has done well, but from
give to the public and to Congress some addi-
tional facts which I think will be Of interest
to all.
Those facts are, briefly, as follows: The late
Secretary Of State, Hon. F. T. Freirnghuysen,
sent an officer OF the Department Of State with
Judge (then District Attorney L. L. Lewis of
Virginia to see the property and inquire into
the title, &c. This was done. A visit to Wake
held by steamer on the Potomac was made and
the ground inspected The county records at
the agents returned to Washington and re-
ported to the Secretary Of State.
CONVEYED TO THE UNITED STATES.
Later Judge Lewis prepared and had exc
cuted by the several heirs who had direct or
contingent interest in the birth site (Which site
had years before been donated conditionally to
the state Of Virginia by Col Lewis W. WASH
ington) deeds conveying to the United States
all such actual or contingent interest of said
heirs. Again an officer of the Department of
State was sent to Wakefield, aud under his
direction the official county surveyor surveyed
and made plat of the point of land where the
house of Washingtons parents once stood,
which point includes some eleven acres, and
from that point he ran out . roadway fifty feet
wide to Bridges Creek landing, distance of
about mile and a half, embracing some ten or
more acres, making total Of about twenty-five
| acres Of land in birth site and roadway COM
bined. It was then thought necessary to have
Virginia cede all right Of any existed) vested
in the state to the United States to, first, GER
tain spot OF ground sixty feet square, and sec
| ond, to one square acre, in the center OF which
| was the said sixty feet square spot upon
which the manor house once stood and which
| had been conditionaily conveyed to the state by
| Col. Washington, as before stated.
1t was also deemed necessary TO have the
! state by statute recognize the right of the
United States to make the birth site and road
way q military reservation, with authority to
exercise full jurisdiction over it az such if re-
CURED This was done through the interview
ton of Judge Lewis and the representative
| sent from the Department Of State.
The next and final step was to determine
| upon what would be a fair price for the land
desired and to purchase the same.
TO FIX VALUE
board Of arbitrators was formed, composed
| of distinguished and disinterested persons.
The Secretary Of State named Col John F.
Dent Of Maryland and Mr.. Wilson, the owner
| Of Wakefield, selected MIR. John Rust of vir-
ginia. A third was also named, but did not
act, because the two gentlemen mentioned
agreed as to the amount Of purchase money to
be paid, and thus settled the question.
The price determined upon was g. 500 which
was reported to the Secretary Of State by the
officer sent out from the department and was
accepted A proper deed was prepared and in
| due time executed by James E. Wilson and
Bette Wilson, his wife, The deed was duly
| recorded in the clerks Office at Montross
and the purchase money promptly paid, and
| thus passed into the hands of the government
that portion OF Wakefield which was houored
by having within its borders the spot where
| once stood the house in which Washington was
4 born.
from the foregoing It will be seen that for
seven years the government has been the owner
Of this historic point, but a. yet it 10 only the
! owner OF the land provided that it be used for
the purpose for which it was purchased viz,
the suitable marking by q monument or other
wise the birthplace OF the father Of his coun-
try.
| OF the $50, 900 appropriation there still re-
mains about ga, 900, subject to the order Of
the Secretary of State for the purpose for
which it was provided; the design, with work.
ing plans. de-, for the monumental building
the only cause for further delay Is the failure
OF Congress to provide the additio nal S6, 600
required TO complete the entire work, includ-
ing wharf, roadway, fences, &C., and who shall
say how soon this win be supplied?
Very soon indeed think II public attention
be suitably drawn to this eminently proper and
patriotic question. s.