The evening times., 1896-02-22
Shaft at Wakefield, the Birth.
place Of George Washington.
SOON TO BE ERECTED THERE
Description Of the Hand
some Monument Prepared for the
3 Virginia Shore-TwO Other Famous
Works In Marble to he Seen In This
City-Reared to the People

ton Dlrth at WakeIield, near tue POtOnlac
River, in Westnoreland county, Va.
This nicmoria! Is the final outcome OF
efforts which have Eecn made for twenty
years. To Greet it was one of the objects
OF the MARY Washington Association OF
America" organized in 1873. and in sew
eral succeeding Congresses steps for a
creditabie memorial were taken, but the
project was not carried out.
The present movement had its inception
In 1884. An appropriation of $1,000
was made by Congress, and to the Secretary
OF State were left the arrangements for its
erection. Secretary Gresham interested
himself warmly in the matter. and from
among the designs submitted he. selected
one by John Crawford & Son OF Buffalo,
the principal point in its favor being
Its simplicity.
The cutting OF the monument is now COM
pletcd, and its five sections were placed
this week in the navy yard here. where
four large scows have bcen especially con-
structed to transport the immense pieces
OF stone down the Potomac.
This and the subsequent work of putting
the monument into position at Wakefield
will be completed by April ] but the mOnu-
ment will probably not be dedicated until
July 4, when the President and his cabinet
are expected To participate in the exer-
c;scs.
ITS TOTAL HEIGHT.
The total height OF the monument will he
52 feet. Its principal feature will he a
monolith shaft II l-2 feet high. standing
upon two square base blocks, plinth and
a die block. Every section has been hewn
from carefully selected granite, quarried
at Barre. VT.
The rough stone for the mOnolith is one
of the largest single pieces OF granite ever
quarried in this country. 1t weighs 63.-
600 pounds. and the weight OF the whole
monument when In place will be l75,COO
pounds.
Wakefield stands back some distance
from the Potomac river. and the removal
OF these blocks TO their final resting place
Will be difficult. After they have been
landed the sections will be put on rollers
and moved to the site of the monument
in that way. The intervening ground is
comparatively level.
The monument VIII be in plain view OF
steamers passing up and d WI the Potomac.
It is proposed 10 convert the land around
1t Into park, to have landing
on the river bank. end thus make the place
attractive and accessible for tourists.
In 1858 the site OF the old house at
Wakefield and the graves nearby were
decided 10 the State OF Virginia by the
late Col Lewis W. Washington. condi-
tional uron the place being inclosed and
suitable tablets placed around 1t. This
condition was never complied with and the
1a hn, tt,-nt nt...l I,
places are contiguous.
:, tablet was erected on the spot In 1915
by washington's adopted son. George WASH
ington Parke custis, but relic hunters have
long since hacked this to pieces. &
THE OLD HOMESTEAD.
The homestead in which Washington was
born had been built in pioneer days and was
small but substantial. II was the center OF a
groupor outbuildings and servants quarters.
The main building was hip-roofed, with dor
mer windows, and n one-story wing running
back. used as a chamber.
In this room family tradition says Wash
Ing ton first saw the light. The event is thus
In the old family Bible: George
son OF Augustine and Mary his
wife, born ye l1th day OF February. 1882,
about % in the morning a nd wasbaptizedthe
Sd day OF April following
These dates are according to the old style.
The adoption of the revised calendar some
twenty years later made the day OF WASH
ngton's birth correspond with what is now
designated as the ED.
The house was bnrned to the ground in the
spring Of 1875. ltcaught while the servants
were burning accumulated rubbish In pre-
pairing for the planting of early crops. For
many years a massive chimney remained
that was generally supposed to
have belonged To the original house, but
;areful investigation has since shown that
t was part OF an outbuilding that stood
iard by the mansion. and has been wrongly
pictured in histories as the birthplace of |
Washington. The foundation of the real |
iouse was traced and uncovered half a |
lozen years ago, at the instance Of the State |
Department.