Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-12
Written for The Evening star
wAsaINGroS's BtNrHPLAcE.
why the Er,--tion of . Monument 90 Ms,
the Spot 10 DELAYED

| why the Eviction of Monument % Mart
the Spot 10 Delayed.
| A Through MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN
"A about Gen. Washington ana sA> vhois
world is familiar with the history q his
HE, and although thousands annually Whit
Mount Vernon his home yet his birthplscs y
seldom mentioned. IL is. therefore, the pur-
pose OF this article 20 present 10 the public .
snort description Of Wakefield. where wssh-
| ing'on spent his early boyhood life. and 10
s'a'e what has been done by Congress toward
marking this place with a suitable monument
| VI the many great mon who have been proni-
nentin the early or late history OF this country,
"esimoreand county. lying on the Potomac
river axty-hve miles below Washington. claims
.ne honor OF being the birthplace Of thrss--
"ashington Monroe and r. Z. Lee.
| "1Aeheld Is situated in the northern part q
this county, just three miles below the summer
resort Colonial Beach and in full view of thas
place. tbs a large plantation OF 1. 400 scrss,
ooruerlhg on the river for one-tslf mile and
running back some distance between the his-
toric Pope and Bridge crock. The .not vhers
the nome OF Washington stood In 100 wards from
the bank OF fopes creek ana some distance M
from the river. -
Nothing remains OF the original dwellias,
which was plain house OF four rooms on the
lower floor and several IN the attic except the
bricks that formed the foundation of the house
Up 10 a Few years ago q lone chimney stood
marking this historic place. but now nothing
remains save a cluster of trees Q few he bushss
and q pile OF broken brick.
THE OWNER OF wAKrFrrtn
The owner Of Wakefield is Mr. Jno T. wflsou
formerly OF Maryland. but who has for nearly
forty years been residing upon the place He
married Miss Bette Washington. whose grand
lather was VIM. Augustine Washington, the
nail nephew of Gen. Washington. VIM. A
washington used 70 live on kalorams Heights
IN TINS city, was the owner OF this property,
ana IL Was while he lived here that he enter
talned Fulton and lent him invaluable assist
aice whiie he was perfecting has plans for his
steamboat iaEention. The table used By Fulton
while making his drawings for bis stesmboAs
was the one used by Gen. Washington mother
ana can be seen now at Wakefield. 10 10 owned
by Mrs. ). K. Wilson
Although the civil war left Tide Water Va
IN crippled condition. this northern neck a
virginia Is most favorably situated and the pee
hie To-Day i've weli and In no country vail yoa
fnd more hospitality, more refinem eut or esl-
tivatioa than along these two great rivera -
.appshannock and Potomac.
The nrst OF MashingtoR's ancestors that oaD>
70 TINS country were two brothers, Lawrencs
and John, who settled IN 1853 at Bridse Creek
HE name OF the old home was changed In lTU
from Bridge Creek to that OF waksfeld- Law
renee after ward moved 10 what ls nov Essex
county and there died early in January, 1917.
In Iappahannock, the county sat Of Fs.sr
county, is recorded the will of Lawrence WASH
lngton.and in the court house OF Mestmorelapd
county Is recorded the will of his brother John.
II Is from john Washington that Gen. washing-
ton rs descended. Gen Nsshincton's father
was Augustine Washington. Who Was the con OF
Lawrence, who was the son OF Johl wsshinsteu
that emlgrated to America.
THE WASHINGTON VAULT
Washingtons father, grandfather and great
grandfather lived all or part of their nves a
Bridge Creek, now Wakefield, and we're eli in
TERED IN the family vault This vault N only
q snort distance from the birthplscs but
nothing remains excepta group of trees and q
lew marble slabs with inscriptions on them e.
most extinct.
10 rescue from oblivion this historic p,,os
by marking the spot where stood the oraaS.al
house with a suitable monument ConrrSs -
already taken action.
For this purpose. on June IA, ls7A bya
JOINT resolution, $1,000 Appropriated. In
| The spring of 1880 Vim. NJ Eyarts then Seore-
| tary OF State, made . visit TO the birthplace
ana on May "a, 1850, wrote q letter to ssmuai
.. randall, Speaker OF The House, and sur
6ested that the designation Of the parental
home IN which Washington was born and ehaA
! the preservation OF all that time had isfS a n
| should shape the architecture OF the mouu-
ment to be erected. lie estimated that such a
| structure would cost $4,000. After thia q
February Il, 1851, the original sppropristsoa
OF 90 OoO was increased 10 that amount "a
the expenditure of the money was leit In
| the hands OF the Secretary Of State Al the
land to he occupied by the monument had f,rss
to be purchased with q public night of vay
thereto from the river after the passage Of shis
JOINT resolution appropriating the ESQ eco
Hon. T. L. trelnghuysen sent an officer Of he
State Department. with Judge l. L Levin (tbsn
district attorney TO see the property. Upon
examination Of the title and after due surveys
1 "a ma Ia A.. u
these gentlemen and executed by John T. vii.
son and Bette Wilson, his wife, and the pur-
| chase money promptly paid. Thus came into
the possession Of the United States that portion
Of Wakefield that contains the early hons q
Washington.
From the above il viii be seen that for eiehs
years the government has owned this propsfty.
but the owner OF the land provided thss IL IS
used Tor the purpose for which ii was Dur
chased, namely, the suitable markinG ~ .
monument or otherwise the birth site.
OF the $4,000 appropriated there sSili 70
mains S24, 7l2.6s subject to the order Of the
Secretary OF State for the purpose for vh,oh 10
was provided
TIE CAUSE or prIAI
The design for the monument, with vorhtns
plans, has been prepared, accepted and psid
for, and the only cause for further delay n shs
failure Of Congress to provide the additional
amount to build a wharf, as recommended BY
|
states army, IS being necessary before The
monument could be erected
knowing that the original design Of Conxrsss
was TO mark the birth spot and TO make of IL .
place OF resort as well, and knowing that .
have wharf on the place at which the river
boats could stop connecting with o roadway
leading TO the birthplace necessary March
8, 1854. Secretary Of state ESelinghuyssn ssnS
Thos. l.. Casey to visit Wakefield. On this tssp
Col. Casey located the four corners Of the pro-
posed monument and likewise made soundines
and surveys Of the river at that point relative
| TO making estimates as to the cost OF q suitable
wharf, which estimates he placed for . wooden
wharf at $1,000, for a cast-iron wharf st o. SO
and Tor a wrought-iron wharf at els. 500
| The result OF this report on May 10, 1854 vss
sent by the Secretary Of State 10 Presidents
Arthur. aud he on the same day transmitted
/ this communication TO the House of Repre-
sentatiyes: Executive document Ne l6Q
torty-eighth Congress, first session, publio
resolutions Nos. and IL. approved June IA
1873 and February 26, 1891, and joint rssolu-
ton recently introduced an the Senate Decem-
Der IA. 1891. by Senator Hoar Of Massachusetts,
give full information 10 what has been done.
1t is to be hoped that the necessity Of this small
appropriation for o wharf or road way - ses
forth In Gen. Hosrs joint resolution, win sooa
be brought TO the attention of Congress, and
ny - Ia.