Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-04
wAsmINNToN's RIRrHrLACE.

cred with rude pictures of Scriptural
scenes. The house is said to have been
destroyed in 1875, and Of the authenticity
of the numerous illustrations of it that
have been published nothing can now be
discovered.
Indeed the accuracy Of the accepted de-
scription Cf the house itself has lately
been called into question. An inventory
of the property of Austin Washington,
found with some other papers in the pos
session of one Of the Havemeyer family
of New York, has given the assiduous
Moncurc d. Conway reason to believe
that the house was really Il fine residence,
with eight bedrooms, besides other apart
ments. Some confederation of this is
found in Washington letter to Sir Isaac
Heard, in which he speaks of his fathers
mansion" at Bridge Creek. and Weems'
Life of Washington" also refers to it as
this large house" But that matter is
after all of less Importance than perpetu-
atinG the memory Of its location.
Whatever it may have been, the site
of the dwelling is now, like most Ameri-
can places of historic interest, neglected
and forlorn. AL that remains of the
house is pile of broken bricks and
STUNT AtAtAN - 4Sl ltA4 VI tue
Chimneys and foundation. Up to a few
years ago one of the chimneys still stood
like 4 rugged monument upon the his
toric spot, but that has disappeared. Sc
also has the stone with which George
Washington Parke Curtis, Washington's
adopted son and one of his executors, in
1915 marked the site of the house. Wash
ingtou's father. grandfather and great.
Z. u 1 - y
and were all buried in the family vault,
which is but Il short distance from the
birthplace ana equally neglected. moth
ing remaining of it but Il group of trees
and few broken stone slabs with some
half legiblc inscriptions.
On June II, 1879, Congress made an
appropriation of $1,000 for Il monument
10 mark the spot where Washington was
born. In the following spring Mr.. Evarts,
then secretary of state. paid visit to
the place and subsequently wrote a letter
to Speaker Randall, suggesting that it
should be preserved and suitable me
mortal erected. He estimated that it
would cost $50, 900, and congress in
creased its appropriation to that amount,
at the same time extending its original
design so rs to include the purchase of
the property and the construction of a
suitable wharf and approaches for visit
ors who might come down the Potomac
the only practicable way of approaching
the place.
The property was purchased by the
government for 5000 from John E.
Wilson, formerly of Maryland, who has
been living there for the past 40 years.
He married Miss Bette Washington, the
granddaughter of William Augustine
Washington, a nephew of the general
and one of his heirs and executors. After
the purchase price was paid the amount
left for completing the project of con.
gress, including the construction of the
wharf. was $24.713, and of this sum
Colonel John NJ. Wilson of the engineer
| corps of the army, who has been given
charge of the matter, has made q con.
tract which will devote 50, $50 to the
| construction of n wharf near the mouth
of Bridge creek. The pier is to be of
iron. with a wooden deck, and will be
1850 feet long by lG feet wide. Work
| upon it is to begin May /, 1894, and it is
to be completed ready for use by the LIST
of next August.
These expenditures from the appro-
| priation will leave something less than
| $4,000 for the erection of the monu-
ment and such other work as may be
| necessary. The amount is small, but
Colonel Wilson may be depended upon
to make the best possible use of it in do
signing and erecting the desired monu-
ment. He was until lately superintend-
emit of the Military academy at West
Point, and during President Cleveland's
former administration he was in charge
of the public buildings and grounds in
| Washington. Prior to that he had charge
| of the breakwater improvement Mt Cleve-
land. He is especially popular in White
House circles and was formerly the prac-
teal director of social functions in the
| presidential mansion.