The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-08-03
WASHINGTON'S
BIRTHPLACE
" Wakefield " Has Been
Sadly Neglected.
FIRST HOME OF FIRST PRESIDENT.
The Omcial Tablet, Erected BY the Govern
ment, Seems Like Mere stone In
Country Graveyard

Although the name Mount Vernon Hoods
the American with patriotism and love
for the Father of the Republic To great
majority Wakefield Farm is n mean
ingless word And yet it was at Wake
field Farm" that the heart Of the greatest
American Of them all throbbed first. there
that the proud mother soitened the heart
and strengthened the mind which in man
hood shaped the nation destiny there
that the immortal lesson OF truth. the
story Of the cherry tree, was enacted
there that were whiled away the happy
childhood hours Of the great cOnqueror
before whom old nations bowed. and
there that the brave warrior learned 10
handle his first weapon IL Is strange
that the historic old spot should have
been so long iorsaken and even now al-
most forgotten. 1t would seem that
Washington's death was of greater mo-
mcnt To the American people than was
his birth since the scene Of the former l.
Nh sacred 10 them. while the latter is
practically unknown Has it been for
gottenthat the invincible leader OF Valley
Forge was once a helpless babe in his
mothers arms? Every brick, shrub and
bush at Mount Vernon has as near as
possible been preserved intact in the con
dition in which he left it, although this
old manor was his home for but com
paratiyely short time, while " Wakefield
Farm. the real homestead. the scene Of
Washington infancy. boyhood and early
manhood and to him one OF the dearest
spots in the world. has for more than a
hundred years been given over to the
rayages Of time.
In the early part Of the last century the
old homestead was burned. The massive
old rafters and furnishings were almost
entirely lost, but the towering brick
chimney, with its arch in which it is said
four people could sit with comfort and
for comfort, the cornerstones, and parts
of the thick foundation walls stood. be
fore the Civil war the farm passed into
| the hands of the Jet family, who valued
/ the property for its historic association
+ even more than they did for its. famous
farming qualities. Although nothing
was done To rebuild the old mansion af-
ter the lines of its original design, Mr..
Jet made an effort to preserve the ruins.
Mr.. Charles Jet placed in the great arch
of the chimney a marble slab with an in
scription telling of the birthplace OF
George Washington and the date OF that
event Time changed the sentimental
patriotism Of the Jet family to more
material sentiment, and it was decided
to utilize the bricks in the construction
of n building needed on the place. After
all the still perfect bricks had been re-
moved from the walls, it was found nee
essary to have more, and the old chin
nev with itsinscribed tablet which forms
crude monument to commemorate the
birth OF the first President, was sacrificed
to this petty cause. The marble slab
was removed to the family graveyard, a
fitting place for its repose.
In placing it beneath two ancient fig
trees which had been planted there by the
mother of Washington, the slaves who
were bearing it dropped their precious
burden. and the slab was broken into
three parts. 1t was roughlyput together
and left in the old cemetery-and there it
lies today, broken slab beneath dead
fg tree. now vinecOvered and moss
grown. while the whole is shaded by a
once mighty oak, now bent and broken,
and not even a wild grape or sweet
honeysuckle vine clings to its lifeless
limbs-trulya fitting emblem of the for
gotten greatness of the ruins on the hill
side. Even the deplorably new, modest
looking shaft of granite which was erect
ed by the government in 1895 seems
more like a tombstone i'm n country
graveyard than a monument to great
ness. The shaft is miniature copy Of
the Washington Monument and bears
simply the inscription, "Washington's
Birthplace" In tiny letters at the base
are the words, Erected by the United
States, A. D. 1895. The monument is
not even on the ground where the old
house stood. nor does it tell to the few
sightseers who stray to the old farm
anything of the history OF the place.
But to return to the old ruin. After
the slab had been removed from the chin
ney arch. it was found that but few OF
the bricks were needed, and about five
feet of the great stack was left standing.