The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-02-25
AN HISTORICAL BUILDING
Fairfax Court House TO Be Trans
formed Into a Museum.
Portraits of Washington aud Other
Distinguished Yirginians to Adorn
President Among It's Treasures.
Curious Items in '.MInute Book"

Fairfax Court House, in the antiquated
Virginia village of that name, is to be
transformed into an historical museum
Portraits Of Washington, George Mason.
( Lord Fairfax. FitZhugh Lee. and other
distinguished sols Of Virginia are to be
hung on its walls. private documents. rec
ords. and papers are to be collected and
placed on exhibition there. The struc-
ture itself. while possessing No architectu-
raj beauty, IS attractive by reason Of its
close connection WITH the history Of Yir-
GINA in the eighteenth century It was
built Of brick brought from England, and
bears sears fnuumerable Of wounds re-
, celYed IN the civil war Throughout the
var it was occupied alternately by Federal
and Confederate troops. but, strange To
say. few of its valuable records were nc
Tested. Although the outer walls were
made the target Of countless bullets and
shells. the interior was not damaged 10
any extent IN the picturesque toner
hangs a bell which was there in Washing
tons time. The ancient building stands
in the midst Of one Of the prettiest court
greens in all Virginia.
The last viii and testament of George
Washington is the chief treasure Of the
Court House collection. The viii OF Mar
tina Washington. which had been deposited
there. was carried away IN wartime and
never restored Washington's viii is kept
IN small black walnut box with a glass
cover TIE box has been locked many
years and the key has been lest Only
TWO pages Of the time-worn manuscript
are visible. The handwriting Is pain and
neat but there are many photographed
slips which prove that Washington could
never have captured the prize al Virginia
spelling beat least, Ia If he had liV-
ed a century later.
Al the beginning Of the civil war the
Washington will was sent to Richmond for
safekeeping- That old-time papers had
little interest for the inhabitants OF the
Confederate Capital may be gathered from
the fact that when Richmond was burn.ag
after the retreat Of Lees army, e citizen
Of Fairfax who happened to be in the city
found the viii In a pile Of rubbish in a
house that was spared from the flares. He
took II home with him, and ever since it
has been preserved by The clerk Of Fair
fax county
There is a law of the State providing
for its preservation 1t is altogether TOO
valuable a relic to be permitted 10 remain
in its present unsafe repository If the
plans now projected succeed it will be
safe. with other precious documents, and
guared with the care its Importance 10
serves.
Another interesting document in the
Court House is the viii OF George Mason,
the author of the Bill of Rights upon
which the national and many of the State
constitutions are based. It is copied in
a wonderfully clear hand in a huge Ieath-
er-bound volume. which contains many
other nementos of early Virginia days.
George Mason lived at Gunston Hall, on
the Potomac. some distance below Mount
Vernon and he disposed Of his mansion
house" his hundreds Of slaves, and other
property in this instrument
There is a minute book in the Court
House collection which contains many Gu
rious items. Here is one: Ordered. that
there be erected in the town Of Alexan-
dria a whipping post and stocks; also a
ducking stool. for the punishment of Of
tenders Another minute was to the eff
feet that all soldiers and express in His
Majesty's service paying ready money
shall have one-tifth deducted Under
date OF September p, 1851. is given the
test oath required of every county OFF,
Ger. attorney, and vestryman who quail
fed for Office, This was: i do declare
that there is no transsubstantiatiCn in
the sacrament of the Lord Supper or
in the elements Of bread and wine or at
and after the conservation thereof by any
person whatsoever"
There is no more interesting exhibit in
the Court House than a copy Of the law
regulating licensed innkeepers and pre-
scriDing the prices they might charge
This law had to be posted in al the inns
of Virginia and the man who broke it
was made to forfeit seyenty-hye pounds
Of tobacco. a heavy penalty for those days
Tobacco was money in old Virginia. This
is copy Of the tariff under His Ora
cious Majesty" "One gallon OF rum. SIS:
one gallon Nank brandy, los; Virginia
punch or apple brandy, IS; New England
rum, 2s Sd; Fayal and other low wines,
Is Cd; London beer, called porter. Is:
English strong beer, Is Cd; cider by the