The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-09-24
IN KING GEORGE
SOmethin9 Of the Glorious Past
of This County.
iHE GRAND OLD HOMES, ETC

has been the receut good fortune of
the WUtri-.. visitor ttom the farther
South-to spend AN all too-brief vacation
IN King George county. Va. fret on the
banks oi The picturesque Rappahannock.
then fifteen miles acruss tho county by
the alertic Potomac Nowhere. periapS
could more be found To please the eve
and delight the Imagination.
To begin with, the trip down the Ran
pahannock iron fredericksburg II iull of
charms. The stream il narrow in parts
50 narrow, indeed. that our boat seemed
almost too big for it-and at one point
We actually piucked q bough from the
bank ia passing. IL r. tortuous. some of
the bends forming perfect horseshoes
IN" banks arr hugh and covered with
ieathery foliage, here aud there's are pines
or troughs, through which grain T. shot
direct into the holds 90 vessels Fine old
mansions, surrounded by fertile fields
are In PLATA view from the stream.
Our destination was Port Conway
Directly opposite lies Port Rovsl. "A
pretty village nestlina close To the
waters edge. This little town was laid
out in lNS2, the same year as philadel-
phia, ana, further, IL euj JOYS the di-tinc.
tion OF having come within TWO votes
OF being selected as the capital city OF the
Union. IL has been the home of such well
known families as the lightfoots, Pen
dletons, Pages, Grays, Thorntons, Pey-
tons, BrockenbOrOughs The old Brock
enbo-ouRh house, for generntions the
residence OF the ThOmtons. aud latterlv
OF Cousin Sarah Jane Pey ton, ," Il a rare
specimen of early Colonial architecture
An ehoft was made 90 induce Miss Pey-
ton 10 allow It's removal entire to the
jamestown Exposition. The exterior is
severely plain aud very dllapidated. The
hall and pnrlor, both Of heoric propor-
lions, contain some of the most elaborate
hand-c0rVed woodwork to be seen in the
country. The walls Of the parlor are
papered with vivid. almost uss.sizsd
scenes from "The Arabian Nights ON
one side, and from "Tae Adventures of
Ieiem2chus' IN the other. Here hung
the portrait OF some early Peyt0n that
wac piefced-the portrait, not the man
by British bsyonet.
But to return To Port Conway. Quite
near the wharf stood the modest co ttage
where James Madison, fourth President
Oi the United States, alst SAW the livht
This suggests the fact that the North
ern Neck oi Virginia - that is. the
counties between the Rappahannoek and
the POtomac-has produced uuite "A dis
proportiOnate share OF the great men of
American history. In addition to Madi.
son, there are Richard Henry Lee, Light
horse harry" Lee, X N. T. Hunter
Extra Billy Smith, and those two
whose names stand pro-eminent-W ash
ington aud lee.
Everything about this section savors
OF old days. There are old gamgliss
and old mansiOns-many of them "a IL
alas, too rare, still in posses ssion of de-
scendants of the builders-and going
along naturally with such things. of
course, old iuriture, old portraits. and
best Of all, old timed manners and hospi.
tality. Indeed, as IA gifted woman re
marked to me; Here the old regime
seems to have made its last stand. -
Ia the fuli aud complete enjoyment OF
a temporary residence at first one and
then another oil these fascinating homes
md my Imagination constantly going
back to the day q Oi wigs and powder and
patehes--to the times when gentlemen
were knights and ladies were queens.
One way, perhaps. 10 account foY the
union here Of past with present Is the
fact that King George has never had "A
county town, unless the "cOurthouse -
with its ten edihces-including the store
the pOst-otiicr, the temple Of justice. the
clerk office, the jail, toe two churches
and the two rectories could be so dir
nlhed. And, by the way, | have Damed
every building at the county seat exeept
the residence OF that charming gentleman
the clerk Of court from time out of mind.
Mr.. +. l.. Hunter, who, with his wit and
courtesy and knowledge of things past.
seems 80 epitomize IN himself the history
OF king George. And so it is still d county
society. II did not know until yester-
day that Miss---was IN the county !"
a beau remarked n any prcsnce; and
doubtless h. drove about TWENTY-FIVE
miles that afternoon To see her.
Others may be as Interested as | am
In some OF the old places that have
visited. or seen, iI this neighborhood
first, there l. the old mannOr house Of
Glove" built 10 l7l7. by Charles Car
ter son of that famous king Carter
who had u grant, including "Cleve.', of
300, 900 acres IN this and other parfs
oil Virginia. Ii stands near the rivers
brink. and the exterior, OF red brick
set on by white stone facings, is quite
imposing. The walls are OF remark.
able thickness, both outside and mar
utions. The interior was gutted bv
IRE and rebuilt, without. however. she
elaborate mural decorations, In the wear
$500. In the psrlor hangs a large por-
trait OF this Charles Carter, fi1e rosy
old gentleman in court dress with i'm |
InenSe red waistcoat and brass buttons. |
Many interesting stories are told OF him. !
IL seems Tor instance. that be would |
drive IN state, with coach and four. to
the Lambs Greek church, which be