Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-02-20
THE WOODLAWN MANSION.

10 tQe daughters Vi tuo htucItChH
Revolution, Assem- hled 10 CoDven
lion 10 the City of Washington, DC;
Ladies :-Iuasmuch as one of the
prominent objects of your very useful
aud patriotic organization is the pres
erva;ion as far as possible OF all the
important historic land marks OF CO.
louisl times in the thirteen original
provinces, and especially of the edifices
private and public which bear associs-
tions of persoHages conspicuous in the
beginning of our republic. l would
hereby respectfully call your attention
+, the condition of the Woodlawn Man.
siou in the county of Fairfax, Va, near
adjoining TO Mount Vernon.
This mansion was built by the pa
rental and loving muniiceDce of Gen'l
George Washington for his adopted
daughter, Eleanor Gusts Lewis, and
her husband, Major Lawrence Lewis.
Il cost originally over one hundred
IN. usand dollars and was considered
Que of the most pretentiOus editices OF
toe tidewater region of Virginia. II
Was constructed substantially, and Ol
toe best material then TO be procured.
The site mad been chosen by Washing
ton himself for it's prominent, command
ing and heslthful position, and the do
main around it, also his gift, was man.
orial, consisting of two thousand acres
of eautiiuly diversified land and we'll
adapted for profitable cultivation.
The Woodlawn hCm, was the dwell
ling place of Msjor aud Mrs. Lswis,un
I'll the death of the former which &C.
Cured in the year 1880. After that
time Mrs. Lewis removed to Audley, IN
Clark county, Va, where she remained
during the rest of her life which closed
July 1852.
For nearly fifty years no one OF the
Lswis family has occupied the mansion
and at the present time it is untennani-
cd and fast falling to decay. Its roof
OF slate is breaking into rents which let
ip the rains. Some of it's windows are
broken, and the shutters sway to
and fro in the winds. The once beauti
iul portico looking toward the river ana
Mount Vernon ia falling piece by piece
and the mortar is dropping from the
foundations and upper walls. Its im.
mediate surroundings of lawns, terraces
and gardens and driveways have lapsed
into q dissolution.
The patriotic pilgrim who visits this
long and utterly neglected shrine and
cans its forlOrn appearance with knowi'
edge of it's primal attractiveness and his
toric associations turus ever away with
heart filed with sadness and regret that
no hand of the thousands which in these
latter wears have been engaged in the
praiseworthy work of restoring and pre-
seu,ing 80 many other shrines OF the
Old Thirteen Colonies has been stretch.
I'd forth to esye this one. which appeals
no less forcibly than any for protecting
| care.
The father of Nellie Custis Lewis wa
an officer of distinction in the continen
tai srmy and an aide on the stan o
Washin gton, and sacrificed his life for nl
country during the siege of Yorktown
J Nellie was left only three years old ou
her early orphsnsge found reao!
hearts. and hands for its protection
and filisl care under the roof OF Noun
Vernon. Here, for eighteen years sh
| was a beloved and favored member Q
the illustrious household of this classi
Virginia home. Here, she bad the al
vantage Of the best tuition of the lm
not on Y 10 school studies but also II
music. drawing and painting and her
too she had constant opportunities @
contact with educated and accom-
plished visitors of the general from 81
narts of the colonies and from Europe
Through the eight years OF the mrs
presidency under the constitutional gov
ernment at New York and Philadelpni
she was with the General and Mr'
Washington. She was an oftimes com
nsnion of the general in his horseback
r,des over the Mount Vernon estat
and to the neighb0riDg towns OF AieA
andria and Colchester.
That Washington loved Nellie 2
f,ndlv as if she had been his own child
all the accounts we have OF their intei
course fully attest. And finally In D.
continuing and increasing sollcitud
for her welfare when he had passe
from her side he chose protector an
,ompapion for her worthy OF her goo
,nalities of heart and mind, favori'
, seDhew, Mayor Lawrence Lewis son
, his sister Betty. p
These, ladies and Daughters OF the n
,ojntion. are some of the claims OF II
once stately Wood lawn Mansion
! vonr kindly regard and action In Its D
half The year just closed has bee