Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-16
HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS.
THE NUMEROUS OLD PLACES IN AND
ABOUT ALEXANDRIA

EIlsworth's NIng-The Masonic Lodge noon
Christ and Pohick Churches-The City
Hotel, Carlyle House, Mount Vernon, and
Braddock House, Etc.
Situated as Alexandria is on the
road between Washington city and
Mount Vernon, within less than an
hours drive of the latter place, it was
the city Of the Father Of has Country,
Her postohice, market house,
churches, Masonic lodge and stores
were patronized by him, and when
occasion required, history tells us
helped man her fire engines. In his
last illness an Alexandria physician
CDR. Dick watched the fight of the
vital spark, and an Alexandria cabinet
maker constructed the coffin into
which his remains were placed. Here
several of his manumitted slaves
passed the evening of their lives In
peace and contentment, and old men
and women now moving among US
have listened to their "reminiscences
of Mount Vernon, and George and
Martha Washington.
Alexandria has ever been regarded
as a historical city, thronged with
blessed memories which are too little
appreciated by most of US who have
been reared hereaobuts. Our people
from al every day familiarity with
old Christ Church, the Braddock
House, the City Hotel, Marshall
House and other spots pregnant with
history and interesting traditions,
pass them as unconcernedly as the
Egyptian drives his camel around the
Sphinx or the Pyramid of Cheops.
To people from distance, however,
each of the places named tells thrill
ing tale, and it is no uncommon
thing to observe the stranger stand
ing reverently surveying the house in
which General Braddock perfected
his plans for what proved to him to be
a disastrous battle, with the same int
crest with which an American anti
quarry gazes for the first time upon
the Tower of London.
The traveller from other portions
of the country, after satiating him
self with the life and hustle of the
capital city, can pay flying visit to
Alexandria, seek Christ Church, the
shrine at which the Father OF his
Country offered up his devotions to
Deity, and there his mind can wan
der back to colonial days, when the
plain and unostentatious Colonel
Washington, his mind pregnant with
thought, walked to and fro in the
same spot while conniving great
nation. All this is as absorbing to
the stranger as visit to Westmin-
ster Abbey would be to US. Quit
ting the sacred edifce, the visitor
can read the inscriptions upon the
tombs where "the rude forefathers
of the hamlet Sleep" and then pro-
coed to Washington Lodge room
where he will Immediately become
as much engrossed as before while
surveying the chair the illustllous
chieftain used while presiding over
the workings Of the craft. Here,
the visitor, if he be of contempla-
tive nature, can while away an hour
in making minute inspections of the
portraits of Washington, Lafayette,
and their Masonic compeers, to-
gether with the interesting collec-
ton of relics in the shape of Wash
ingtons clock, apron, gloves, jewels,
and numerous other articles inter
esting to the craft and to the anti
quarian. Should the stranger be
member of the fraternity, he can at
tend meeting of this historic lodge,
and on his return home can have it
to say that he has sat in the lodge
in which Washington at one time
welded the gavel.
In the same square upon which
the Masonic Temple is situated is
the Market court to which Washing
ton was q regular visitor before,
during, and after the conflict which
terminated in our freedom and the
breaking of the yoke of George the
Third. In this enclosure the poll
ties of colonial days were discussed /;
it was here that Washington had his
memorable fight with Payne (com-
ing out second best, by the way),
and where men, fired with patriotic
zeal, armed and drilled for a struggle
they saw to be inevitable. Upon the
opposite corner stands the old City
Hotel, which has witnessed all the
ups and downs of Alexandria, and
where Washington at one time es-
tablished his headquarters.
To say nothing of the innumerable
spots rendered historic by the second
conflict for independence Gin 1912
when the British fleet passed up the
Potomac and red coats swarmed our
streets, many places hereabouts have
been made interesting by the foul
years civil war, chief among which
is the Marshall House. Thirty years,
save one day, have elapsed since the
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