Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26

Tbev lie in thick Oak-grOwn Spot
densely shaded i'm summer, by the edge
of shadowy ravine, in the midst VI
the privates' section. and southwest ei
the tomb of the unknown Few per-
sons ever stray that way The graves
are marked by two white maroie
monuments, the taller of which is IN
scribed:
George Washington Parke Custis.
Born April 81. isl
Died October 10. lS5' :, o,.;,
Blessed Are the Mercifu. for They snail oD'a
Mercy
The shorter monument is inscribed;
Born April 81 ,17ss.
I,ied April %, 1853 :,
Blessed Are the Pure In Heart. Tor ines S""i'
See God
At the base of the tombs grow lilies
and myrtle culIed from the gardens
of old Arlington. and. no doubt, pian,ea
at these graves by Mary Ann Rano0lph
Custis, daughter of Mr.. and MI Gus
it's and the wife of Gen. Robert r..
Lee. 49,.
The man whose bones rest under the
taller monument was the pullder VI
Arlington mansion His 1atner was
John Parke Custis, son of Daniel farke
Gusts of White House. Va, ana ms
mother was Eleanor Calvert OF NOUN
Airy. Prince Georges county. Mo; Ills
Maternal grandmother was Mrs. George
Washington of Mount Vernon. ana ne
was the adopted son of George WASH
ingtOn. ,, parke
t'ustis and Nellie Calvert. MI. CuSts
hought from Gerald Alexander tract
of and opposite Georgetown. The oniy
house on the property was one owneu ~
the Alexander family, and in wh1cn IL Is
believed Gerald Alexander lived Its site
is covered by the experiment gardens or
the Department of Agriculture, and rev
bricks found in the site were put IN the
wall of one of the government bulldlnss
I'm the experiment grounds.
4 *
GUSTS built a large frame house near
the river which he called Abingdon, ana
there Eliza, Martha and Nellie GUSTS
were born. George Washington ParKe
Gusts was born at the home or his
mothers parents in Maryland. After the
death of John Parke Custis, near York
town in 17s1. Nellie and George Washing
ton Parke Custis went to live with their
grandmoth er. Mrs. Washington. at Mount
Vernon, and We're adopted by Gen. WASH
ington Nellie was married in 1893, but
George Washington Parke Gusts con-
tinued to live at Mount Vernon until the
death of Mrs Washington. in 1SO2, when
he removed to his fathers estate, Abing-
don and on the heights erected a great
house which he called Arlington IL was
SO named in memory of John Gusts the
second whose home, Arlington, stood in
Northumberland county. Va, and which
was named in honor of Henry. Earl OF
Arlington a cO-grantee with Lord Cul-
pepper of Virginia.
Some of the old residents of Washing
ton remember 6. w. p. Custis. He was
quite en- entertainer and took an active
interest i'm general affairs of the city OF
Washington
On the eastern slope of Arlington, Tar
from any other grave and in removed
SPOT" is a grave covered with a marble
slab and inclosed with a high brick we'll
The slab is inscribed:
Sacred to the memory of Mrs Mary
Randolph Her intrinsic worth needs no
elogium-
The deceased was born the 9th of Au-
gust, 1762. at Ampthill, near Richmond,
Va and died the sd of January, ls2S
in Washington city. a victim or maternal
love and duty AS tribute of filial graf
itude this monument is dedicated. 10 her
exalted virtues by her youngest son.
Very little can be learned at this date
concerning the lady whose ashes rest
here She was no doubt member of the
great Randolph family of the James river
country. and was related to Mrs. Robert
E Lee on her mothers SIDE.
The Washington National Intelligencer
of January "a. 1S2S, throws this light on
tie old tomb:
..Death-In Washington at i O'Clock
am on the I'D instant. after an illness
of six DAYS, Mrs Mary Randolph, aged
sixty-fve years. Respected and esteem
ed through life by a very numerous &C
quaintance-
Her friends are respectfully invited to
attend the procession of her funeral this
morn ng at 10 O'Clock, from her late resi-
dence to the Potomac bridge. the inter-
ment to be made at Arlington In spot
marked out by herself
John Randolph was a member OF Con-