Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-02-18

BRADDOCK HOUSE STILL STANDS )

The purchase of Faunce's Tavern in
New York city, in which Washington
eade farewell to the army and the
determination to restore the structure
to its original appearance and make OF
It a repository for colonial and revolu-
tionary relics, adds all the more point
to the suggestion to buy another bit
of Washingtonia intimately connected
with the younger days Of the great
general.
There exists to-day in Alexandria,
Va. the house In which Washington
IS said to have received his first COM
mission; certainly the house which
Gen. Braddock made his headquarters
preparatory to his fateful expedition
against the French on the Ohio. This
house. formerly known as the Carlyle
House. was built by John Carlyle, one
at the first trustees of Alexandria In
1733.
To-day the Carlyle House forms. part
of the deserted caravansary still
known as the Braddock House, but
formerly doing businec- under the
several titles of Newton's Hotel and
Green's Mansion House. The hotel
forms the west front and the north
and the south sides of the quadrangle
lar structure, while the Carlyle House.
facing the courtyard, forms the main
eastern part of the building now bear
ing B~raddock's name.
The Carlyle House, with its wide
grounds, once reaching to the Potomac
just below the east, was built upon
the site Of an old colonial fort which
guarded the interests Of the King and
his traders when the neighborhood
was known as Hunting Creek. So sub
%stantially was the old fort built that
John Carlyle took the structure as il
stood In 1892 and built thereon the
house that now beare his name.
This old fort is not without its meas.
ure OF interest. There still remains a
portion OF the underground passage
that once led directly to the river, and
by which fugitives were fastened into
shelter while the military spirits
issued forth secretly to engage the
enemy unawares.
The living rooms Of those early
dates, now the cellar of the Carlyle
House, in which the women and child
rem were gathered In those times of
trouble with the Indians, seem even
to-day to breathe through the nostrils
OF their iron-barred windows the
same spirit of defiance with which
they once confronted the foe. These
rooms later. when the Carlyle House
became famous for its hospitality,
we're turned into meat pens, wherein
were stored the luscious old hams and
the like for which Virginia has long
been famous.
From the center Of this erstwhile
living space an arched passageway
leads to the remnant OF the beautiful
garden that once ran. unobstructedly
to the river front. On each side OF
this way are two rooms. three OF
which once housed the soldiers, while
the fourth was the prison. On the
rough stone walls of this room are
evidences still of the shackles by
which the worst Of its inmates were
restrained.
This part Of the old fort still forms
the plaza out upon which the main
hallway leads; and 1t was there, In
Washington's days. that the young
people gathered In the summer even
ings to chat and to watch the moo
rise over the river. then in plain view.
and II was there, too. their elders met
70 discuss the questions OF the days
when the wharves beyond were crowd
cd with trading craft and Uttered with
che richest barter Of England and the
West Indies.