The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-11-17

dined or "A sunday with his distnEuSn-
ed friend and neighbor. washington
used to keep four-oared gig. for which
he had negro crew. trained and IN
uniform. Frequently the gig would car
~ him from Mount Vernon TO Gunston
Hall. for II was only four miles by me
river. and sometimes Washington, VINO
always rode TO PohIck church In his
coach and four, with negro Positions;
would meet his friend Mason there ana
after church drive to Gunston 10 dln..
There is also a room in the house known
as Jefferson's room, because IL was O.
ways occupied by him when on ms ~
frequent end often pIotraeted visits a s9
Gunston. a room Is pointed out, 100 a.
having frequently been occupied, h ~
Lafayette. who on the occasion OF r,1
last Visit TO this country speht 30 sider
weeks with descendants OF tne !, a. a
Mason, whose friend he had DeeL j,u A.
the present time 1t Is six mrs i AL.
any railroad. and the only toe1 q bnaf
10 Il is in bad repair mn hat is more
landing on the neck, but thdt ~ H'oie
than a mile away from the mansion
RUINS OF THE FAIRFAx MANSION.
Retrac,ng ones steps toward Mount
Vernon Inc visitor comes 10 announcer MS
toric spot--the ruins OK the aiti"A MI ~
sion known in Washington udy DIS bci-
,oir Here was another manson III WIdih
WasbinSfon was a constant ana ever vel
come quest The FalrfaXes were ulIlereht
from any OF Washing tons neIsnpors an
hat e.
nerce for their fame. They were not
,lecItticisns. nor were they statesmen.
rhey cut no figure as soldiers: Washing
Ton appointed one Of the FalrIa&es
colonel on his stan, but ne a sidrn zen
IN nothing as such. They were an
descendents of the English hoblllty,
and while they were good enough AIleIl-
cans. they had no ambition Dut 10 pc
serve the integrity OF their blood ana be
recognized as the leaders Of the most
aristocratic society in Virginia; Inc orI-
einal Fairfax estate In Virginia. as ms,
tory records, comprised huhuIeus an
thousands Of acres. 1t hah ue CT M
grant from James H. in 1858. That Dor
ton of the estate near Mount vernon
fell TO the share of Colonel william AR,
fax. cousin Of the original L Il
Thomas Fairfax, ,i lie came a in ii i7%s
and built the Bclvoir mansion. re-
for nearly century dwell f tr5o
branch OF the Fairfax fanny Sir,, bn.
whole place Is in ruins now, nothing pc
ing visible but the foundation OF tne
house and some of the outbuidlneS, w
whole covered with dense mass OF DraHl-
bes and underbrush. II is a pltiaDie
spectacle. Yet the place is grand even
in its ruin. The foundation shows me oip
structure to have been 90 by - i,-b W.
walls q inc, Is thick. The Dick, II2ih
England OF course, were ceHltHleu vi"
mortar made from ground oyster ShciI7'
which is exceedingly hard ana iIhtIht;
Had not fire destroyed it Belvoir would
be standing 10 this day. Large trees
are now growing within the loundallo9
walls The mansion had been lnclOseq
hv a wall of bricks nearly one hundred
feet square. all now in ruins. Adlaceft
are the ruins of five other brick pulIllhEs,
presumably the kitchen, the coatchhouSS
and quarters for the house servants ana
in front on'the river bank, 30 feet above
the ripping Potomac, can be seen the
ruined foundation Of summer mousse,
There is but an acre or so OF clSdreu
ground about the ruinS-al else being
given up TO brush and brambes' when
form a dense copSe on the premises. Inc
old road TO the river bank, which WASH
ington so often travelled on his frequent
visits TO the FairfaXeS, can StiI betraced
through the Iapglewood. In dense
copse a hundred yards from the ruins
rows of sunken mounds revealed me ram
lily burial plot The marble slabs nave an
appearcd-deStrOyed ana earned away
during the war. go.
George William Fairfax. born in 1924
was the last occupant OF BelVolr. lie
accompanied Washington on his survey
ing tours over the mountains and in the
Shenandoah. and i'm 1773 he left with his
wife for England and never came back:
After several years absence ne directed
all the magnificent furniture and fittings,
together with the stock, to be sold al
auction A sale was therefore had, Wash
ingtOn being the chief purchaser From
that time the estate speedily went 10
wreck and ruin, and two years later the
mansion took fire and was completely
destroyed.
II viii he seen that Belvoir wholly an
tedates the revolution. II was IN It's
prime when Washington was young
man II was there ne was first introduced
into society and became one Of the aris-
tocracy. 1t was at BelVoir that in his
youth he met the pretty Mary Cary, sis
ter Of Mrs. George Fairfax. and paid
court to her only TO be repulsed by her
proud father, who could see nothing In
George Washington to make him an ac-
ceptable sutton. The young surveyor,
stung by the snub, left the premises and
never saw Mary Cary again but once,
and that was when he raised his hat to
her pallid and fainting visage in a win
dow Of the quaint old capitol Of Williams
burg as he rode through at the head Of
his victorious army after the surrender
Of CORVALLIS at yorktown.
The BelVoir estate originally comprised
200 acres, but was many years ago cut
up into small forms, until now there is
no record of the original boundaries.
very large portion Of the estate has gone
back to the original forest and again
awaits the pioneers AK.
No reference 10 the historic mansions
of colonial Virginia would be complete
without a word or two about the old
CARLYLE House. right here i'm Alexandria
more common ly known as "Braddock's
headquarters" The old house still stands
on Fairfax street, and is IN remarkable
preservation. To Alexandria in 1755 came
Commodore KepDle with his English fleet
Of war ships and transports. bringing the
army Of Major General Edward Braddock.
To commence in cooperation with the
Virginia troops. that memorable eXpedi-
ton against the French and Indians I'm
the Ohio Valley. which ended so dsas-
trously to the command and so fatally
to the obstinate and despotic commander
IN the old ca rlyle Building Braddock and
Kepple held that famous council or war
with the five provincial governors. Shirley
Of Ma ssachusetts. Delaney Of Nev York,
Morris Of Pennsylvania, sharpe Of Mary
lard ard Dirwiddie OF Virginia. to deter
mine the details of that wretched cam
paign. in which, as we all know. Colonel
Washington was afterward so command
ing 4 figure. The old mansion Is still oc-
cuned by a VARIETY Of tenants and it
is apparently good for another 80 years.