St. Landry democrat., 1894-02-17
A PATRIOTIC SHRIN F.
WASH1NGTON'S BIRTHPLACE 10
HAVE A MONUMENT.
Two Ideas are Under Consideration
One Is a Building of Granite, the
Other a Huge Boulder.

Other Huge Boulder.
There is to he another shrine on the
historic Potomac. Tho birthplace Of
Washington, ut Wakefield, Westmore
land County, Va is finally to he marked
by an appropriate monument. Wake
field is seventy.tivc miles down the river
from this city, says a Washington letter
to the New York Times. All that re
mains Of the house in which Washington
was born is ruined hearthstone and
chimney. Old maps Of Virginia call ut-
tention to the site by the inscription:
THE BirthplNce Of Washington.
The idea of erecting a memorial on
this historic spot was advanced many
years ago, but for long time the Con
gress displayed the utmost Indifference
to it, Finally, in June, 1879, an ap-
preparation of 1000 was provided for
the erection of suitable monument,
and the Secretary of State was authorized
to see that the money was properly tX-
pended.
1t appears that nothing was done to
carry out the wishes of the Congress I'M
til the following year, when Mr. Evarts,
then Secretary Of the State, made a visit
to Wakefield
Mr.. Evarts submitted five drawings of
the proposed commemorative structure.
These plans contemplated & building of
granite with q tiled roof and a bronze
tablet bearing an inscription bronze
doors, and windows SO arranged with
bronze screens that the interior Of the
building might be plainly seen from the
outside.
The neglected burial place of the I'M
mediate ancestry of Washington, close
to the homestead, suggested to Mr.
Evarts the protection of their remains
from further exposure and dshonor. lie
provided in the plans for securing in the
outer walls of the structure the ancient
tablets and headstones to be taken from
the neighboring burial ground
Nothing more was heard of the matter
until February, 1881, when Congress
appropriated $50, OGO for the purpose Of
marking the birthplace. Tie act pro
vided that this sum was to purchase the
old homestead and to erect suitable
monument theron Under this stimulus
the State Department brought about the
transfer of the property to the Govern
ment, and also obtained the right OF way
for road to suitable landing place on
the river.
General Casey Of the Engineers, who
had not then attained his present position
as the head of the Engineer Corps, main,
tanned that, in the interest Of the public
generally, landing place on the river
was an absolute necessity. Without
such a landing place the materials for the
monument would have to be hauled over
a very iuferior road for at least six miles,
and the cost of this long haul would, OF
course, be included in the cost Of CON
struction.
Surveys were made and estimates fur
nished, but nothing was done toward
constructing the memorial. III April,
1884, General Casey submitted plan for
a wharf, to be constructed of cast iron
screw piles, with a timber deck. The
plan provided that the dock should be
1850 feet long by 1e feet wide, the head
to be 40 by 60 feet. This great length
was made necessary by the shallow con
dition of the river opposite Wakefield.
Nine weeks Of inactivity followed upon
the preparation OF this plan. At It's last
session Congress approved the plan and
authorized the expenditure Of $l1. 1856
for the construction of the wharf, out Of
the original appropriation OF $4,000.
The unexpended balance of that appro
priation is S24, 7l2, go, by deducting the
amount specifically allotted to the wharf,
there remains SIS $40 for the monument
proper.
Colonel John NJ Wilson, United States
Army, the present Superintendent of
Public Buildings and Grounds, is now in
charge of the undertaking, and proposes
to push it to completion. The contract
for the construction of the wharf has
been awarded to l. H. Hathaway & Co.,
of Philadelphia The contract price is
$50. Work on the wharf must begin
May / next and be completed 10y August
|.
Nothing will be done toward the con
struction Of the monument until the
wharf is completed. In the meantime
the plan Of the proposed memorial will
be decided upon.
So far as can be learned, the ideas a0-
vanced by Mr. Evalts thirteen years ago
do not meet with general approval.
Colonel Wilson is of the opinion that
the proposed building would hardly be
appropriate To his mind more rug
ged memorial, beftting the character of
Washington, would be more appropriate.
He said to the writer that if the matter
were left to his Judgment, he would lay
in the space occupied by the ruins of the
house solid foundation of cement, and
on this place monster piece of granite,
to be transported from some quarry. On
this stone he weuld place the proper in
scriptions.
"Such memorial, said Colonel Will
son, "would last for ages and would
never require any care. 1t would be
common sense memorial, and have no
doubt of its acceptability to the masses
of the people,
1t remains to be seen whether Colonel
Wilson's ideas will agree with those OF
the State Department. With wharf at
Wakefield, there is good reason to believe
that in the years to come the birth place
of WashiNgton would receive a good
deal of attention from the great army of
tourists which each year invades this
region.
The great distance of Wakefield from
Washington makes it reasonably certain
that the visitors to the shrine will never
equal the number of those who annually
visit Mount Vernon where Washington
body lies. Mount Vernon will always be
the chief show place along the river. 1t
is repete with memories of Washington,
and the beauties Of the ancient estate arc
increasing year by year.
PElXOTO.