The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1892-07-08


Mount Vernon mansion stands near the
brow of a sloping hill which rises consid-
erably more than 100 feet above the river,
and which can be seen from great dis
lance. The Potomac, which is here two
miles in width and really an arm of the
| Chesapeake rather than a river, makes a
sharp bend as it passes the estate and pre-
sents broad eXpanse of glittering water.
From the piazza and upper windows of the
house charming and picturesque view is
presented on every side. The grounds adj
iacent to the mansion are covered with
beautiful shade trees, many of which
Washington himself planted. In his time
the estate comprised 5000 acres-a prince
ly domain even in those days of baronial
holdings. More than one-half of it was
woodland and the remainder was divided
into four great farms titled by several hun
bred negroes Each farm was devoted to
special crops, as tobacco, wheat, corn, ETC.,
and was in charge of an overseer who re-
ported daily to the superintendent, the
latter reporting from time to time to
Washington himself.
1t has been calculated that Washington
was worth something like half million
dollars, and that his yearly income was
about $50 900, though he was far from be-
ing the richest farmer in that part of Vir-
ginia. After the death of the first presi-
dent the lands were sold by the heirs from
time to time till now only the mansion
house farm" consisting of 200 acres, re-
mains. These grounds and the mansion
itself are in charge of the Mount Vernon
association, and the ladies of that society
DESERVE great credit for having maintained
the house in such excellent condition, as
well as for their work of restoring the
rooms and premises to their original state
as near as possible, which has been carried
out with great fidelity and intelligence
Adjacent to the grounds quite village has
grown up, and a postoffice is maintained
there for the benefit of the inhabitants.
Visitors land at the wharf, about quar-
ter of mile from the mansion. A part of
it was constructed by Washington himself,
and here in his time vessels were laden
with great quantities of tobacco and also
with -four in barrels, each bearing the
once well known trademark, George
Washington, Mount Vernon" Washing
ton, like the other farmers of this section,
used to make his shipments direct to Lon
don or Bristol, and his -four had a good
reputation in the English market. The
old mill at which he ground his grain is
now mass of ruins on the river shore a
mile or SO below the wharf. From the
landing driveway and also footpath
lead up the hillside through the woods to
the mansion, passing the tomb of George
and Martha Washington on the way. The
mansion house was built about $50 years
ago, or at least the central part of it was.
Lawrence Washington, the generals half
brother, was the first builder, being the
owner of the Hunting Creek estate" as
the property was then known. When the
estate descended to George Washington he
renamed it Mount Vernon, in honor of
Admiral Edward Vernon in whose fleet
Lawrence Washington had served in the
West Indies.
A few yards from the mansion, down the |
steep southern bank, is the old family tomb |
in which the bodies of Washington and his
wife and other members of his family were |
deposited until 1881, when they were re-
moved to the new vault some distance to-
ward the river. For time the old tomb had |
fallen into decay, but it has now been re-
stored and made to look as much as DOS
sible as it is believed to have looked years
ago. In 1926. when Lafayette made his
last visit to Mt Vernon, he went into this
old vault and reverently kissed the coffin
which held the remains of his great Amer
can friend. The new vault, which was
Quilt precisely at the spot and iii the man
ler directed by Washington himself in his
will, is beautiful tomb and before it as
write stand hundreds of Americans of
both sexes doing homage to the memory
Of the man whose valor and patriotism
made this Independence Day possible.
Within the Enclosure, and plainly to be
seen through the gate, is a marble sarcoph-
agus inclosing the remains of Washing
ION, and bearing on its top only the coat of
arms of the United States and draped
lag about the simple word, Washington"
No need of poetry or Latin inscription to
the fame of him who lies
within.
wish had time and space to describe
lhe old house and its contents for you 1t
s an old story, know, but one which
pears frequent retelling, for in no other
structure in this country, to my mind, is
here SO much that speaks of the heroic
lge of the Revolution, and of the pictur-
,sque period of the colonies. as is to be
ound within these walls. One room in
particular holds all visitors with some
trange fascination. 1t is little dormer
ort of chamber, under the roof, in which
8 bedstead six feet square and lanked
~ four high posts. This is the room in
which Washington died ninety-three years
lgo next December, and there the very
Jed upon which he breathed his last At
east the bedstead is the same, though the
overlets are of more modern manufac-
ure. 1t is unfortunate that throughout
he house many articles of domestic ma
ure have had to be supplied by the low
ng hands of the women who compose the
dount Vernon association, as the mansion
vas stripped of much of it's original fur
fishing by the heirs before the association
ook charge.
Thus Mrs. Washington's bedchamber,
n which tradition has it she immured her
elf for eighteen months after the death of
er husband, refusing to see any one but
er two grandchildren and favorite maid
ontains but one article which was there
uring the lifetime of it's gentle mistress
mahogany washstand-but the bed and
ther articles of furniture have been re-
reduced in close imitation of the origi-
ais.
In this magnificent home for such it was
4 the days of its glory, Washington lived
Dr. fifty years. For forty years it was the
ONE of that peerless welded couple,
gorge and Martha Washington, though