The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-03
LINKED 10 PAST
Remembers Visit OF Lafayette to
Her Home IN 1624-Sister
Learned to Walk Hold
ing to Washington's
Finger.

NOND. VA - Special. -
Friday, the twenty-eighth. was
the ninety-nfth anniversary Of the
birth OF Mrs. Beverley Kennon. OF Tu-
dor Place, Georgetown. the Oldest liv-
ing descendant OF Martha Washing
ton and her only surviving great
<randchild. who. with undiminished
Interests. and mentally well, stands al
most within reach Of the century
mark.
About her are her grandchildren
and decentralization. Frightening
her life with daily visits and count
less attentions and surrounding her
with an atmosphere of love. She en-
Joys seeing her acQuaintances, too, re-
cciving them seated i'm her armchair
whose cushioned back she ignores
entering into the conversation, and
particularly appreciating a spice of
herself with knitting. never dropping
a stitch" and at Christmas took
keen interest in the preparation and
dispatching Of gifts to her friends.
Mrs. KennoR is daughter of Col
onel Thomas Peter and Martha Gus
It's, second child of John Parke Gus
It's, Mrs. Washington only son. and
Eleanor Calvert a granddaughter OF
Lord Baltimore. She has lived at her
present home-hers by inheritance
and her birthplace, the most his
torically interesting residence at the
capital-almOSt continuously for nine
ty-five years playing as a child be-
meath the native trees, then shading
grounds of six acres in extent. but
now reduced TO a half-square. within,
the most refined and educating in
fuences have throughout surrounded
her. the original work of world-fa-
tngton and other celebrities, and
priceless jeweled miniatures. whose
charming histories are told in time
stained family letters. The Washing
ton relics at Tudor Place are perhaps
the most comprehensive eXtant. They
cover his engineering. military and
presidential experience, and. begin
ming with the splendid brOcade gown
and satin slippers worn by Mrs. Wash
tngton at the White House, in New
Kent county. on the occasion Of their
marriage. and extending to the an
uQue brass and irons. which support
ed the fiickering fire in the great
mans death chamber. illustrate every
phase of their married and Mount
Vernon life. A souvenir of much in
terest is a sago palm in the green
house, now a semi-tree, a scion of
one of three brought over in the BOs-
ton tea ships. One of these was sent
20 GouverneUr Morris. another to
Mount Vernon. where il was destroy
ed in fire which occurred in the
conservatory there. and the third to
Pratts Gardens. near Philadelphia.
Mrs Kennon's mother purchasing the
ofTshoot, in 1913. and bringing it
home in her carriage.
A notable event which Mrs. Kennon
well remembers is the visit OF l.afay-
cite to Tudor Place in 1924. Indeed.
the distinguished generally came as a
matter OF course. to a home presided
over by one brought up as a daugh-
ter at Mount Vernon. Washimgton's
interest descended. too. TO Mrs. Peters
children. Mrs Kennon's oldest sister
learning to walk on the veranda al
Mount Vernon holding to his finger. 4
souvenir OF this connection exists "a
N nd hsa1H 4. a..
gift to the little girl. bearing the i'm
press OF her first tooth; while lin
cnsket being next and behind the mar
BILE Sarcophagus which holds his ashes
AitnouSh an hplsco pahan. Mrs. Ken
non was educated at the Academy of
the Visitation in Georgetown. OF which
she is the Oldest living eX-pupil. and
OF whose alumnae ASSOCIATION she is the
honorary president. In December, 1892.
she married Commodore Beverly Ken
non, a son OF General Richard Kennon
OF Conjuror's Neck. near Petersburg, a
house built in 1855. antedating Rich
mond, Petersburg. Blandford Church
and William and Mary College. and
handed down for generations from ia
ther TO son. The wedding ceremony took
Place the company drinking the cou-
pies health in thimbles full OF wine
from Washington's cellar. Their mar
rice Ire OF ntteen months was spent
at the Washington navy yard, OF which
Commodore KennOn was then in COM
mand. terminating In his tragic death
IN March. 1874. from the explosion of
q gun on the Princeton. several Cabi-
net officers sharing his fate, and Presi-
dent Tyler narrowly escaping il.
With their only child-afterwards the
wife OF the late Dr. Armistead Peter,
OF Georgetown-Mrs. KennOn returned
TO Tudor Place, where, except for a
few years spent in PHILADELPHIA when
her daughter was at school there, and
a years refugeeing in Richmond dur
ing the civil War, she has since re-
manned To IL the changing admin
tstrattons have brought succession OF
distinguished foreigners and strangers.
Here, too. honors have sought her out;
positions OF responsibility and distinc-
ton. Many of these nave been relin-
Quished with advancing years. She is
still. however. the president Of the So
ciety OF the Colonial Danes OF the
District of Columbia. the honorary vice
president for life OF the National So
cfety OF Colonial Danes. and the presi-
dent OF the board of mana gers Of the
Louise Home. OF Washington. OF which
she was one of the original nine direc-
tresses.
Mrs. Kennon has great-nieces of two
generations living In Richmond, while
many of her husbands relations are to
be found In the city and its vicinity
Her grandson, Rev. Freeland Peter a
ant at Epiphany Protestant Episcopal
Church. Washington. shares her home,
as does her granddaughter. Miss Agnes
Peter. Living near her, with their fami-
lies, are two other grandchildren-Mr
Arinistead Peter. and Mr.. Walter Peter
q prominent architect, who, with his
partner Mr.. Marsh. designed the beau
GILBERTA S. WHITTLE