Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-02-22

MaiSsS.awrence Washington was
an accofSb lished gentleman, and one
OF the far-seeing business men of his
day, as was his father before MIN.
He died at Mount Vernon in 1852.
aged thirty-four years. and his re-
mains rest in the great vault behind
those of George Washington.
Lawrence Washington's widow
married Col. George Lee, uncle of Ar
thur and Richard Henry Lee, patriots
of the Revolution. George Washing
ton was unable. however, to give
supervision to Mount Vernon until
after the fall of Fort Duquesne and
the expulsion of the French from the
Ohio region, as his military duties
engrossed most of his time; but after
his marriage, January 6. 1853, he re-
sided there and gave the closest at
tention to the improvement of his
estate, and all his landed interests in
the Shenandoah region and the Ohio
valley. He made Mount Vernon one
of the best cultivated and most high
ly improved plantations In Virginia,
and added largely to its bounds until
1t embraced 10000 acres, and had
river frontage Of ten miles. The nat
ural yield of the soil of this planta-
ton was never first class; indeed. it
is surprising that SO good a farmer
and Judge of productive lands could
have reconciled himself to cultivate
them to the extent he did, as lands
in the Shenandoah valley were vastly
more productive than those on the
Potomac River But George Wash
ington seems never TO have faltered
in his love for his Mount Vernon
home, although he was aware that no
profit came from it's cultivation.
The clause of his will referring to
Mount Vernon is in the following
words: ITO my nephew, Bushrcd
Washington, and his heirs (partly in
consideration of an intimation to his
deceased father, while we were bach
elors, and he had kindly undertaken
to superintend my estate during my
military services in the war with
Great Britain and France, that if |
fell therein, Mount Vernon should be-
come his property, l give and be-
qpeath all that part thereof which
is comprehended within certain linn
Its, and containing upward Of 1000
acres, WITH the mansion house and all
other buildings and improvements
thereon"
The mansion at Mount Vernon ia
Of wood, painted resemble stone.
Along its s'ont is broad piazza
twenty-five feet in height, with square
pillars. The restored building is now
divided among the States for preserva
ton. Massachusetts has the library
room, Georgia has Ms Washins,on's
sitting room. The main hail is as
signed to Alabama. South Carolins
has the dining room. Ohio has Mis-.
Custis' music room. Illinois has the
west parlor, and New York has The
banquet hall.
The room on the second floor il
which Washington died is assigned tt
Virginia, and is Immediately unde
the room on the third floor in which
Mrs. Washington died. This las
room is at the end of the house, look
ing down the river, and is assigned
to Wisconsin. The two rooms Jus
across the main hail are assigned t.
North Carolina and Conn :cticut, re
spectively, Connecticut's overlookin:
the river. Maine has a small room
Just back of the North Carolina room
There are in all nearly thirty build
ings on the Mount Vernon prope! ty
Including the mansion. Office, kitchen
buffers house, carpenter shop, spin
ming house, smoke house. wagon shed
summer house, spring house, mill
house, shelter house in deer park