Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-07-05
Address Of: I
R. Walton Moore
/ Ins The, Fairfax Court House, MAJ
T. BOTH 1921, Accepting For
90 Fairfax County The Por-
II trait; Of George Johnston

! Inc County ol 4 a apltf' n.y., ~
George Joanston> one of her foremost
sons, welcomes the opportunity Of
I placing, his prtrait on the walls Of
this Court room, in. eompahy with
the portraits Of Washington and Ma;
. son., to whom he was bound by; n many
strong ties. ST .:s !. Il 4
. Such records of Che. County as are
/, still preserved: afford evidence I
ehis prominence and activity,
AS a; lawyer he was in the front
,ranskff Of the bar of this section. HIS
name constantly occurs in the minute
books of the County Court which :!e-
tail its proceedings, while the County
seat was maintained at what is now
called the Old Court House Hill, and,
afterwards, following its removal
from there to Alexandria, near the
middle of the 18th century. The town
of Alexandria, and what is now Ar
lingtonE County, were, Of course, until
the end of the century;a partsof Fai: :
lax. AS Johnston was born in 100,
it isiinteresting to note the evolution
If the, counties as he, himself witnes-
sed it. Prince William was detached
from Stafford in 1880. Fairfax was
detached, from Prince William in
1742, and Lou5oun| was not, detached
from Fairfax until ,1757 ~, -
In, the deed books are conveyan:es
of:hnd With which he was connected.
The. viii books contain his last viii
and testament. written.in 1865 within
a few months: Of his death, which IS
brief and simple. compared with the
prolix, documents customary IN those
days. The viii books. also contain
the inventory Of his estate from
WHEN it seems that ne was a man
of considerable wealth.He owned "a
Residence in Alexandria r II.
I;.ActSss Hunting Creek from SShe
fewiil. bad lying along the, Potomac
River, was. his very extensive far.1,
well Stocked with cattle and, horsss,
edthnphttdf Nth fa1l The aa;erictlltural'
implements then IN use, and culitva-
ted by his numerous slaves.
The inventory indicates that DC
was studious and widely read. The
catalogue Of his library includes on
excellent collection of law books that
had been then published. 1t includes
also a large number Ut other books,
among them the works Of Addison,
Steele, Goldsmith, Swift and Popc,
who were his contemporaries, and
as.3sh6,S as 'aif know, contributed to max
ing theirs one of the golden periods
of the literature of our language.
While capable of engaging in the
largest >;ifalrs Johnston was concern
ed about everything that atfecscd
the general welfare. He was an m
dent and untiring public servant, eX-
crtlng himself to advance the inter-
csts of the colony ana ms own con-
lnunity. For several years, he rep e
sented the County IN the House Of
Rurgesses. At home. he found time
from the labors of his profession to
look after local matters. For IN
stance, he assisted in organizing ne"
parishes; settling their boundaries
end advising the vestrles that mac
charge of such business.
Johnston's participation IN one OF
the most memorable events OF Gu
political history was 50 outstanding
as 10 insure MIN against the posSl
bi:::.y of ever being forgotten. 1t Wa:
the event that occurred at Willlam@
burg on the Both OF l.%Iay, 1868, eT
actly 1876 years ago today. wal
hamsburg was the seat Of the Colon
ial Government. From the Caplto
waved the flag of Great Britain. o.
every hand were the insignia of roy
atty. Devotion To the Grown w
almost universal. The House Q
Burscsses, which had been IN scSsi j
several weeks, WAS made un OF II
most eminent characters OF the Co
ony. America could not then nav
produced a more distinguished q
brilliant asSemblage. Those VII
were supposed TO guide and domlna'
the House were the answering adGt
entS of the Crown. The SPEAK,
was John Robinson, an ultra-conse
vative, and among the members ":
supported nm were Peyton kandol9
Richard Bland, Edmund Penu:cL.'
George Wythe and Richard Hem
Lee. To these names many othe
not less notable might be added. "
Of the older members was hcur:
Ir,,y 81, a