Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-09-10
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..VAsuINGTON'S HEABQt AHTE"S'
A member of the staff OF the Philadei-
phia Bulletin, who was recently In kich-
mond on a visit, has written series
of letters to that paper giving the resui'
Of his observations here. He was strueh
bv the shabblness OF the legislative mans
I'm our State Capitol and wondered tha'
our Solons did not provide handsonei
furnishings for those rooms. All 'naO no
saw IN them TO admire was the pic'"ieo
on the walls. The fine collection Vi
portraits and historical relics which VIZ
ginia preserves in her State Library
excited his admiration. His visit 70 the
Old Stone House he describes as lolio"s'
/ was ushered into a room on the hrse
floor where 1 found an occupant III
charge OF a collection OF brlc-a-brac anu
curios. something like that which FRANK
NJ. Etting used TO maintain In reverence
i'm what he called the museum IN tne
west room OF the State House. was
Informed. with much semblance OF vene-
ration that | was I'm the house where
Washington had made his headquarters
whore Patrick Henry once had his law
chamber. and where James Monroe mad
n sleeping-room. | listened quietly and
without a smile on my face TO the "tradi-
ti0ns" and yarns which were poured into
my ear, and with some OF which ! had
already been acquainted. When the now
had been exhausted l ventured to remark
that | had never known Of any event
in the life OF Washington, while he
was at the head OF the Continental army,
which had caused him % be nearer
Richmond than when he and Rocham-
mol a
Yorktown. II seemed 70 me "A good deal
OF "A humbug that place should be as
ISOLATED with Washington in the implied
sense that it was a military headquarters
like. for example. the LongfellOw home
stead I'm Cambridge. or the Potts house,
at Valley Forge. We'll" was the reply
III ii is not known that he was here
there IS reason 20 believe that he might
have been"
one or two persons who came in look
ed AROUND them as IT, like good Mussul-
mans i'm the temple of the Prophet. they
would remove their shoes lest they might
profane TIE sacred soil The truth about
this stone house is that it is the Oldest
dweling-placc in Richmond. But the eX-
aggerated stories which are told OF II, as
well as the misnOmer which is given TO
fl. have imposed upon too many visitors.
known better have at various times eX-
plotted the house as a Washingtonian or
Revolutionary memory, so carelcssly Is
much Of what we call "histo.y' written.
\ little reflection. or. at least, some fresh
reading. would easily have convinced
them that Washington was never present
i'm Richmond as a general. ana, therefore,
had no occasion TO occupy any mousse
there as his headquarters
We do not know who are the 'writers"
whom the correspondent refers to. our
local historians do not assert that the
old Stone House was Washington's head
quarters. yet. somehow il has got That
name, and the name sticks 20 il. The
most we can positively claim for the
house is that it is the oldest building now
standing I'm Richmond. Doubtless men
of prominence I'm the Revolution were
there from time 10 time. on his way
TO Yorktown Washington did not come
through Richmond; but. somewhere IN
print. we have seen a letter from him
dated in Richmond a few weeks after the
surrender. Possibly he was only here
on business with the State officials, in
connection with the State militia, which
had supported him at Yorktown in great
numbers. Then, II ever. his headquar-
tiers were I'm Richmond; but We know of
no authority for associaung him with
the OLD Stone House. So much we have
stated several times before, but by some
the house is still called "Washinstons
Headquarters" and doubtless will be as
long as it stands.