Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-08


Ludwell Lee OF Cotton. which
the Rambler wrote Of last week, the
ancient road between Washington and
Leesburg passes an old and dignified
brick mansion. This house, with its
appurtenant fields and woods, bears
The name Of Belmont It also was q
home Of members Of the Lee family
Of Loudoun county-Lees who were
OF the Stratford line of that famous
English and American family. Lee
historians divide the Virginia stock Of
their family into three branches,
which they call the Stratford, Ditchly
and Cebb's Hall lines. though the lines
arc OF common ancestry in Virginia.
A private road leads from the pike to
The, house, which is about third Of
mile OF to the south from the public
way. The road runs straight between
nelds that are still green and then
ridge, which is crowned by the old
house and its embracing grove. The
road crosses the north front of the
house, passing within about fifty feet
OF the colonial porch.
:. At that point stands spreading.
leaness elm, some Of whose big bleak
limbs. high up in the tree, are chained
together as a measure Of precaution
mat they may not break and fall dur
ing storm. To the trunk or "bole'
OF that tree Is affixed an ornamental
!amp that seems not to have known
the warmth and cheeriness Of a light
Tor several years. 1t is q big. new
lamp grown prematurely old, and con.
tains an electric bulb that Is fed, or
that might be fed. by two wires that
tho house.
From the elm tree to the front porch
Is wide brick pavement, the bricks
being laid In clearinghouse fashion,
which was the way of laying bricks
IN the OLD Washington sidewalks. This
pavement ts grown over with various
grasses 30 that only here and there
can one get a glimpse Of the bricks
ana on top of the tall grass Is a COW
ering Of dead leaves. You may walk
from tho elm tree at the roadside to
the house without knowing that a
brick pavement lies beneath your feet.
~
At each side Of the porch stands q
big box bush like q grim, green SEN
tinel. Four or flve smaller box bushes,
planted in green tubs, stand around,
but they are dead. The ascent to the
porch is made by means Of three
heavy stone steps. They are brown
free-stone and have a familiar look to
Washingtonian. Once they were
steps at the east front Of the Capitol
to the rotunda. These steps, many Of
which had become worn by generations
OF feet and had become scaly because Of
the years Of frost and sun, were replaced
by steps Of harder stone. The old steps
nd - 10 Dat,
which after passing through num-
Der Of ownerships now belongs to Ed
ward Mclean. The old Capitol steps
figure in other ways In the scheme of
things at Belmont. The steps. loading
eight railroad fiat cars. were hauled
to Ashburn and there unloaded. The
step in front of the mems waiting
room in the little station at Ashburn
Is piece of the old east front stair
way Of the Capitol. Before the home
master at Ashburn for twenty-five
years. Is a large section Of one of
these Capitol steps. Very likely other
pieces of the old staircase may be en-
countered In that part of the country.
In discharging the steps from the rail-
broken and those so damaged were
not hauled to Belmont.
Four white futed columns of wood
hold up the porch top at Belmont.
duu at tuO OppOSltc BUGS VI tHS WulIo
door are slender huted pilasters. At
each side Of the door Is q panel with
three old fashioned panes Of glass in
1t, and through this glass one may
get a dim vision Of the hallway and
the curving stairway at its back.
Over the door Is a semi circular panel.
with irregular shaped panes of glass
fitted into a SCROLL work pattern. On
the door is q small bronze knocker.
A foot to the left of that is the knob
of an old-fashioned pull-bell In the
brick facing of the doorway is
modern electric bell that does not
ring. The red bricks Of the walls
are turning gray, and the masonry
Struggling to climb the cold north
vail, but much Of 1t is dead. on to
The left about hundred yards. is a
gray stone spring house with a slate
roof, which was built q few years
ago by Charlie Stunkel, the etone-
mason Of the neighborhood. Beyond
that Is a paling fence, within which
are the remains Of q corn and bean
patch. Nearby is small dollhouse.
Farther to the left is a big stable
TO the right. and beneath a big chest
nut tree, is a frame ruin that seems
to have been an icehouse.
Between the paling fence and the
ruin beneath the chestnut is a faint
path. Follow this and 1t will lead
you to a patch Of ground covered with
periwinkle and here you will find two
gravestones. though one would expect
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