The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-07
wASHINGTON's BIRTHPLACE.
The Historic Spot to BE Soon Marked
by n MOnumenf

The Historic Spot to BE Soon Marked
by Monument.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.-The work of
erecting monument to mark the birthplace
of Washington at Wakefield, seventy miles
down the Potomac, will be begun by Messrs
Crawford e. Co., the contractors whose
design was accepted by the State Depart
ment, as soon the river opens sufficiently
to allow supplies to be carried to the site.
This monument is tardy recognition by
the government of the shameful neglect of
the historic spot on the Potomac where
stood the house in which Washington was
born and reared. For many years past
patriotic representatives in Congress have
been trying to secure appropriations to erect
memorial of some sort at Wakefield but
such efforts met the usual fate of bills not
having some material interest for majority
OF the members. Finally, however, a bill
carrying an appropriation of $50 900 for the
purpose of building wharf and erecting
monument at Wakefield got through the
House and Senate. The greater part of this
appropriation was expended in building a
wharf at Wakefield so that 1t could be
made accessible to the river steamers pass
ing IT., as there is no railroad in the vi
cinlty. A sum slightly exceeding s11, 900
remained, however, and with this the State
and war Department decided to erect
monument to mark the site of. the house
in which Washington was born. OF the
site there only remains small section of
the huge old chimney, built of bricks inn
ported from England by the original build
er. The spot Is overgrown with underbrush
and there is absolutely nothing to indicate
the historic interest that centers about the
place. The site of the house is some little
distance back from the river, but the mon
ument that is to be erected will be of
suf11cient height to be easily seen from the
decks of passing steamers. AS there is an
excellent wharf at the place running out
into the river to distance that Will allow
the landing OF passengers from the largest
steamers, 1t is hoped that number of the
lines running to and from Norfolk will stop
their boats at the landing to allow passen-
gers to visit the birthplace of Washing-
ton The place is too far down the river
20 become a Mecca for excursionists to
Washington as is the case with Mount
Vernon
The work of building the monument at
Wakefield will be begun shortly and will
De nnished before spring. The design was
selected by Secretary of State Gresham
from some twenty-five drawings submitted
ana is of the simplest and most unostenta-
tiouS character. 1t is of the same general
design as the monument to Mary Wash
ington at Fredericksburg, differing only in
the Ornamentation of the base The shaft
is the same as that of the Mary Washing
ton monument and of the same general
proportions as the Washington monument
that towers toward the sky in this city.
The entire monument will stand ffty-one
feet above the cement foundation, the
monolith shaft rising forty feet four inches
above the base. The monument will be of
Barre granite. The shaft will spring from
a foundation fourteen feet square and eight
feet high. Above this will rise the stone of
the first base, twelve feet square and one
foot eight inches high. On this will rest
the second base, nine feet three inches
square and three feet high. Above this will
be the die upon which the inscription will
be cut and this will be six feet five inches
square and four feet ten inches high. The
plnth just above it will be four feet five
inches square and one foot two inches high.
The shaft that will spring from this will
be three feet eight inches square and will
rise forty feet four inches above the plinth.
On the die of the monument will be cut
the inscription:
BIRTHPLACE.
OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
On the lowest foundation stone will be
the following inscription:
Erected by the United States, A. D., 1895. -