Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-12
The Old stone House; the sO-Cn11ed
.eNashington's Headquarters"

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
VIII you be so kind as to answer the
following questions:
l. In what year was the old stone
house known as Washington's head
quarters built?
2. In what year and month did Wash
ington have headquarters there?
w. p. r.
We can give no definite answer to the
first question. The 'Stone House." is,
without doubt. the Oldest building In
Richmond. and its erection probably ante
dates the laying out of the town.
In 1877 the half-acre lot No. 80, 'front.'
ing on Main between what are now
Nineteenth and Twentieth streets, was
conveyed by deed from William Byrd
and wife to Samuel Eye, and from the
amount Of the consideration mentioned
in the deed it is presumed there were
improvements then on the lot 1t Is very
probable that the Stone House had been
standing on this lot long before the date
Of this deed. The following f1cts will
probably throw some light on the sub
ject:
Soon after the English landed at James
town, a party was sent out TO explore the
river and discover, If possible, the much
sought northwest passage. They pro-
ceeded ,,p the river 10 1.-THE falles," and
on Whit Sunday, May "a, 1907, planted,
as the account of this expedition reads
upon one of the Islands below the falls.
a cross bearing the inscription, "Jacobus,
rr.l.t s,,-a Irt, n
less a. monogram combining the letter l,
the form then used for j. and the letter
r.
In the next year there was quite
large settlement effected. first. about
where the City Gas-works are new To-
Gated. and afterwards on the hill now
known as Marrn's Hill wide Stith).
This settlement was soon broken up
| in consequence of the hostilities OF the
Indians, and after the massacre OF the
whites in l622 there were no settlers In
the vicinity Of the falls for several years.
In 1916 Fort Charles was established at
| the falls of James river Where this fort
| was located cannot be positively ascer-
tanned For some years after Its estab-
| iishment it appears not to have been
occupied: for, by an act of the General
Assembly, passed October. l6l, any person
| was offered the privilege of using
| the timber and nails In the houses, pro-
vided he would seat not exceeding ten
men on the south side of James river right
opposite to the said fort.
After Bacon had severely punished the
Indians the fort was again occupied by
about thirty soldiers. under the command
Of Captain Will Soane. and afterwards
of Captain Giles Webb. In June, 1850.
Colonel William Byrd agreed to furnish
corn and provisions to the soldiers In
the garrison at Fort Charles. and the
soldiers were required TO bring In the
corn Of the settlers without expense to
| the Colony. The Indians We're still hostile
and the fort was a refuge for the set
tiers. AS late as 1890 one Fanny Carter.
| white woman, was found dead near
| Shockoe creek, about half mile from
Colonel Byrds quarters. and the jury of
| inquest found that she had been toma-
hawked by Indians"
| In 1857 Colonel Byrd patented s5s acres
OF land on the north side OF James river
between shockoe creek and Gillie's creek.
the same land which was afterwards laid
out as the town Of Richmond. The quar-
tiers of Colonel Byrd were doubtless upon
this land. and were probably near the
fort.
1t Is reasonable to conjecture that Fort
Charles was located on the present site
Of the old Stone House. and that the
stones Of the fort wsrS used BY Colonel