Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-12

corporated by the Virginia legislature in
that year Its purposes as set forth in the
charter, were to preserve the places identi-
fed with the memory Of Washington out
side of that under control OF the Mount
Vernon Ladies' Association" Various bills
were introduced In the House of Represen-
tatives and the Senate having for their OBJ
ject the erection OF a monument to Mrs.
Washington, and although these monument
bills would always pass the house in which
they originated, yet not one ever got
through both houses a the same Congress.
1t was in 1889 that a strong impetus was
given the monument movement The city
of Washington and the whole country were
wrought up over the approac ching inaugu-
ration Of President Harrison when there
appeared in one of the Washington papers,
under the name of local auctioneer, this
sensational advertisement:
The Grave of Mary,
The Mother of General George Washington,
To Be Sold at
Public Auction.
To the Ladies Attending the Inaugural ton
OF President Harrison, on Tuesday.
AT u O'Clock m. we will offer at public
cutlery, at the capital of the United States
of America,
u acres of land embracing
The grave and material of the unfinished
monument of Mary, the mother of Gen.
George Washington.
This advertisement created the excitement
it was designed to produce.
-
Mrs. Frances B. Goodrich Of Fredericks-
burg. a descendant of George Mason Of
Gunston Hail. issued appeal through the
press in October, 1889 reviewing the history
of the grave of Mrs. Washington, and pro-
posing that an organization be formed hav-
ing for its object the erection of a monu-
ment over the grave of George Washing
tons mother, and concluding with these
lines: 'Wil the women of this republic
n rQ he w
to undertake the patriotic work.
OF course, they were, and the National
Mary Washington Memorial Association
was chartered February - 1880. memo
rial association started in each state,
and the money flowed In. The monument
that towers over the grave today was dedI-
Gated May 10, 1894. President Cleveland de-
livered address, Senator Daniel spoke,
and among others taking part in the cere-
monies were Vice President and Mrs. Ste
venson, Gov. and Mrs. O'Ferrsll, Secretary
Gresham, Secretary Carlisle, Secretary La
mont, Secretary Morton, Chief Justice
Fuller and Mr.. Justice Harlan.
After the completion of the monument a
lodge was erected near II for the offices OF
the custodian of the monument, which posi-
ton is now filled by Mrs. Goodrich, the lady
who issued the appeal which WAS influential
in the building of the monument.
Within a stones throw of the monument
is Kenmore House, a glorious old mansion,
in the center of a big park. This was the
home of Fielding Lewis and his wife, Betty
Washington, who was George Washington
sister.
Not long after the death of Mrs. Wash
ington Mrs. Betty Washington Lewis moved
away from Fredericksburg to live with her
daughter Mrs. Carter, in Lancaster county.
She died In 1897, and soon after her children
sold the Fredericksburg property to the
Gordon family, who laid out a family burial
ground close to the grave of Mary Wash
ington, and, walling it in with brick, left
Mary Washington's grave outside the WALL
This family sold the property to William
l. ur6 nf fln 60 mil. of
that name, and he in 1888 sold IT to George
w. Shepherd of Fredericksburg