Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-14


IA I beauty and solemnlty OF Airing
wv ton. but there are some persons
whose understanding of the his
torio dignity OF the place 10
vague. The story of Arlington and Its ante
bellum tenants touches the story OF early
Washington at many points. John Ban
Osborne in his book. Historic Arlington"
introduces his subject as follows:
mo grander theme than Arlington can
engage the pen. The visitor to the national
capital who. on bright spring day. gazes
admiringly from the summit of the loftiest
monument upon the city of magnifcence,
with it's beautiful environs spread out be-
fore him. will remark as his eye scans the
Virginia shore of the placid Potomac, the
cleaning pillars of classic structure
perched amid luXuriant foliage upon the
crest of distant height fully 700 Feet
above the river, This is the mansion at
Arlngton-a name synonymous with DEATH
less patriotism and craven upon the hearts
OF more Americans than any other spot on
the globe. Indeed, not even halloweo
Mount Vernon Is so rich IN historic assoc
Citations, for Arlington Is at once the hoine
of the adopted son of George Washington
who, with tender recollections of the per-
sonality of that illustrlous man, linked the
past with the present century; the former
home of the principal actor IN the Drama "
the lost cause, and as such endeared TO all
southerners; the last resting place or thou-
sands of heroic defenders OF the Union
and therefore cherished at countless nre-
sides In every nothern state and, nnally,
the eternal bivouao OF hundreds Of gallant
martyrs of our recent war for suneTlhs
humanity, by whose solemn advent AIRING
ton has been consecrated anew as liza
tional cemetery. a.,
The builder OF Arlington house and It's
first occupant was George washington
Parke GUSTS. adopted son Of George
Washington. son OF John Parke Custs aiie
grandson of Daniel Parke Cust1s VINO mar
ried Martha cambridge, who, becoming d
widow in 1851, was. in 1859, married 70
George Washington. The mother OF George
Washington Parke Custis OF Arlington Tas
Eleanor Calvert. daughter OF Benealct
Calvert of Mount Airy (near Marlboro; Mo.
The wife OF George Washington Parks
Gusts was Mary Lee F1tzhugh OF virginia
and this lady was the nrss m norea " p
Gusts and Mary Lee Fitzhugh was Maru
Ann Randolph Gusts, who on June 81, 1851,
was married at Arlington TO Lieut. Ronert
% Lee, Engineer Corps. Y. ). a. !hey
Continued to reside at Arlington, and on
the death of her father March 10 1900 WI.
Lee inherited the estate II was 'ne Iv on
of Robert e. Lee and family until Aprn a
1S61 when he left Arlington for Richmond.
and It was on that day that Governor
Ietcher and the convention OF virginia APP
notnted Lee commander chief OF the mil
itary forces of Virginia
The builder of Arlington house was one
of four children. His eldest sister was
Elizabeth Parke Custis. born in 177o. and
who was married at Hope Park. Va. 10
Thomas Law OF Washington, brother OF
Lord marlborough, lord chief justice OF
England This Thomas Law was asso-
Ciated with Greenleaf Nicholson ana Car
roll of Duddington in the adventurous spec
marion in washington realty between the
time Of the selection OF the land at tne
confluence OF the Potomac and Anacostia
rivers as the seat OF government ana tiie
removal of the capital from Philadelphia;
The house in which Law ana MS wire nVeu
and entertained in great splendor STOOD at
the northeast corner of New Jersey avenue
and c street southeast, was occupied lot
many years by Judge Holt ana was re-
Gently demolished in clearing the site LOT
The Jew office building for the House OF
Representatives..
The second sister OF George Washington
Parke Gusts was Martha Parke Cusus,
horn in 1TTT. who became the wife of Dr.
Thomas Peter a man Of wealth and In
fuence in the little Washington OF CEN
fury ago.
The third sister was Eleanor Parke Gus
It's Nellie Custis). born in 1II0 and who
was married at Mount Vernon on Washing
TOMS birthday, 1893. TO Lawrence Washing
ton. the son OF Betty Washington and
favorite nephew Of George Washington
The Federation Of the name "Parke' in
the Christian names of all these Cusus
children was In perpetuation of the memory
and Acknowledgement of descent from DAN
lei ParRe. great Virginian, who fought
with the Duke of Marlborough at Blenhelm
and was also governor OF the Leeward
Islands.
The original American Gusts was John,
who emigrated from Holland and set