The Washington herald., 1916-03-26


ners. At Louisa, IL one so desires, they
can head back to Washington, coming by
what Is known as the middle route by
way of Gordon9ville.
No city of the South combines to so
great an extent the traditions and ro-
nance of the old with the enterprise OF
the new South as does the city of Rich
mond. Founded in 1871. Richmond has
been the capital of Virginia since 1719.
1t is OF even more historic Importance
because of having been the capital Of the
Confederacy during the civil war, The
site of this city was originally owned
by the famous Indian chief, Powhatan,
whose name Is linked with. the history
of the earliest English settlement in
America
Situated on the James River, Richmond
is rich with points of interest and pleas
ant drives. The capitol. located In a
beautiful square in the heart of the city,
is very impressive. To II are linked many
incidents of tragic as well as historic in
terest The old part OF the building dates
from l7S5, and contains the famous
Houdon statue of Washington. The JEFF
ferson Davis mansion is now used as a
museum of Confederate relics. 1t was
called the White House of the Confed-
eraCy.
City of Historic Fame.
Perhaps the most interesting of the
short trips out of Richmond is that to
Williamsburg, the oldest incorporated
city in America, fifty-six miles from
Richmond Yorktown, of historic fame,
may be visited on the same trip, as it is
only twelve miles from Williamsburg.
The route leads through the National
Cemetery and the Seven Pines battle
field.
Williamsburg is situated on the historic
peninsula between the York and James
rivers, which was the scene of Nc
Clellan's peninsula campaign in the civil
war. The city was chartered in 1892 and
was the seat of colonial government from
1893 to 1879. Here is located William and
Mary College, the second oldest institution
Of learning in America.
Other old buildings in Williamsburg.
all of which are linked with the earliest
history of the country. are Old Bruton
Church, established in 1882; the Powder
Horn. built by Col Alexander Spots
wood in INA; the courthouse designed
by Sir Christopher Wren and built in
1859; and the hospital for the insane, the
oldest institution OF its kind in America,
founded in 1892.
Within eight miles of Williamsburg is
the site of the first English settlement in
America jamestown Island, where John
Smith and Christopher Newport founded
the Colony of jamestown in 1907. The
only remaining evidence OF the old town
is the tower of the church built i'll 1870
Pocahontas was married to John Rolfe
at jamestown in 1914, many old Virginia
families claiming descent from this union.
President Benjamin Harrison was a
lineal descendant of Pocahontas. Lafay-
cite had his headquarters in the old
Randolph mansion at jamestown, on
Malvern Hill The same place was used
by Mcclellan in the civil war.
If the motorist who visits Williams
burg should desire to extend his trip to
other equally interesting points, or II
northward bound he would like to de-
part from the usual route. he can con-
tinue on from Williamsburg to Old Point
Comfort or Norfolk. There steamers may
be boarded for Washington or Baltimore.
ChamberIin Hotel Famous.
a week would be none too long for
the motOrist to put in at Old Point Com
fort, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk
and Portsmouth. At Old Point, on Hamp-
ton Roads, is the famous Chamberlin
Hotel where there are many diversions
to be found as well as a gathering of
fashionable people.
Fortress Monroe provides the place
with the advantages of a military post
and there are usually a number OF war
vessels anchored in the Roads. l1amp-
ton has many historical points Or i'll
terest, while Newport News is a thirty
ing city in which is located the Newport
News ShipbuiIding Company, which has
constructed more war vessels than any
other concern in the country.
A fine road leads from Richmond to
Petersburg, a wealthy manufacturing
city which suffered one of the longest
sieges of the civil war From June, 1868,
to April, 1854, this Virginia city was
hemmed in by the Union army. 1t was
finally given up by Lee, who fled to the
hills with his army. then numbering only
2S,OOO. Petersburg is on the AppomattoX
River, and to get to it the mOtorist passes
through Manchester. Then the road is a
section of the Capital highway and leads
to all OF the Southern winter and au-
tumn resorts south of Virginia
Instead of returning to Washington by
one of the usual routes or as a variation
of the northward trip. the route through
Suffolk, Portsmouth and Norfolk is UNI
usally attractive. From Richmond the
road leads through Petersburg and or
through Suffolk and Portsmouth to Nor
folk. The Portsmouth Navy Yard with
its huge dry dock is one of the most
important in the country. 1t has at diff
ioACAhN 'A'ii1o DSSAA III NliC pOootSSlOll VI
the British, Colonial, Confederate and
United States governments. The city was
founded in 1852 and has a splendid har-
Dor. John l. Porter, the designer and
builder of the "Merrimac," was born and
died in Portsmouth. There are a mum.
Der of buildings worth visiting.
St. Pnul's Church of Interest.
Norfolk is across the ferry from Ports
mouth and was settled in 1880 1t has a
wealth Of Understanding historical land
marks, principal of which is old st. Paul's
Church, built in 172O. This old house OF
worship has stood through war. fire and
pestilence, and bears the imprints of Brit
fish cannon balls made during the Revo-
lutionary war.
Several nice trips may be made from
Norfolk. One to Lake Drummond, which
Is a part of the Dismal Swamp, does not
take long. 1t is a little over twenty
miles. Another nice trip is the one to
Ocean View, while Cape Henry and Vir.
ginia Beach. the latter a well-known
ocean resort, are easily accessible by a
very good road.
There are two routes by which one can
return to Washington. The route via
Fredericksburg is not entirely completed
and one is likely to have trouble in
covering some of the bad stretches.
Around by Louise Orange CulDener