Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-02-18

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: BRADDOCk HOUSE STILL STANDS )

The purchase of Faunces Tavern in
New York city, in which Washington
bade farewell to the army and the
determination to restore the structure
TO its original appearance and make of
1t repository for colonial and reyolu-
tionary relics, adds all the more point
10 the suggestion to buy another bit
! of westinghouse intimately connected
/ with the younger days of the great
general
There exists to-day in Alexandria,
4 va, tue house in which Washington
s Is said to have received his first com
mission; certainly the house which
. Cen 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
OF the first trustees Of Alexandria in
1872
To-day the Carlyle House forms part
of the deserted carayansary still
known as the Braddock House, but
formerly doing busines- 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 Braddock's name.
The Carlyle House, with It's wide
grounds, once reaching to the Potomac
just below the east, was built upon
the site Of en- old colonial fort which
guarded the interests Of the King and
his traders when the neghborhood
was known as Hunting Creek. So sub
stantially was the old fort built that
John Carlyle took the structure as it
stood in 1882 and built thereon the
house that now bears his name.
This old fort is not without its meas
pre of interest. There still remains
portion of the underground passage
chat once led directly to the river, and
by which fugitives were fastened into
shelter while the military spirits
issued fort secretly to engage the
enemy unawares.
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
J,fa ~,
became famous for it's hospitality,
were 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, Ia
Washington's days, that the young
people gathered4in the summer even
ings to chat and to watch the moon
rise over the river, then in plain view,
and 1t was there, too, their elders met
to discuss the questions OF the days,
when the w,iarves beyond were crowd.
the richest barter Of England and the
West Indies.