Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-09-14


want to know how people used to live,
look not into books, but into houses.
The soundness of this principle 10
becoming widely appreciated in Amer.
lea. Everywhere old houses with his.
toric associations are being restored
by societies and individuals and cities
and states Almost anyone with sui
ficient curiosity and imagination can
get pretty good idea Of how his an
cestors lived by looking over their
property, personal and real.
Alexandria. Virginia, just across the
river from Washington. is blessed with
a number of these old inhabitants. In
fact, the whole cast and appearance
of many of the streets are still sus-
gestive of long ago; for the houses
are often flush with the narrow side
walks, and. the architecture OF many
of them belongs to another time.
One OF the most picturesque of these
old dwellings, which has recently been
restored to it's appearance Of Colonial
times, is the Carlyle house, which was
built about 1852. The property shows
plainly the marks of at least four
stages in the city's development, for
the old residence has for it's founda-
ton fort built way back in the seven
teenth century. while it Is enclosed on
two sides by building erected for a
hotel just before the civil war, and
now converted into q modern apart
ment house.
The old Carlyle place has now been
purchased by resident Of Washing.
ton, who. by levying toll of ten
cents upon the curious Is able to pay
the taxes on the property. keep it In
repair. and employ custodian. in the
person of young lady who can recite
everything that happened In every
room, together with dates, and names
of all prominent persons.
The house itself would be a credit
to modern architecture and decorators
with it's large high-ceiled rooms and
hand-carved cornices and panels,
which are still in perfect condition.
1t was built by Carlyle, who was q
wine importer, and had under his home
a large and well-stocked cellar. For
that or for some other reason he be-
came a friend Of the famous General
Braddock who came over here to fight
the Indians. Braddock and George
Washington planned their disastrous
ly unsuccessful campaign in one Of the
rooms. Washington's commission as
a major in the Colonial army was
issued here. too. Later on, the colon
ial governors met here to discuss the
Declaration OF Independence. It is
amazing how persistently one comes
across the trail OF that document in
hic hloS hA al ~
colonial America Probably 1t was
discussed in every tavern. and bar
about that time, like the Mexican
trouble and the Hughes campaign are
now: and everyone of these places
subsequently claimed to be the true
and only original cradle of our liber-
ties. -, =; " !, T. = .,s
2 This residence stands upon a circu-
lar foundation OF solid masonry ris-
ing fifteen or twenty feet above the
ground. THIS is the old fort, built in
1888 for defense against the Indians,
and under it you may still see the
dungeons in which the luckless saw
ages we're confined after our fore
fathers had caught them These prison
rooms are of solid masonry, with
vaulted roofs and no openings, except
a door and hole about q foot wide
in the roof through which the prison
ers got air, food and light, which
shows how the old timers felt toward
the Indians. w 1, $ 4
In 1875 the rights OF navigation on
the Potomac were discussed and set
tied in this same house. These rights
were then Of great Importance. Alex
andria was one of the leading cities
and ports of the United States. It
was the home Of the president. and a
center Of trade and culture, Leading
theatrical productions, were always
given there. It was not far from the
size 1t is now. 4 ~ y%z44 M ~
Regularly George Washington used
to drive to town from Mount Vernon
to attend the meetings of the Masonic
chapter in, Alexandra, of which he
was Grand Master for 4 long term.
The room in which; he presided over
these meetings. with nearly all Of its
original furniture and paintings, Ia
still preserved intact, and is one of
the most perfect glimpses Of the past
to be had in. America, The spindly
mahogany chairs, the faded blue car
pet, the raised dais of the presiding
ofiicer, with its sky--blue canopy, and