The Washington times., 1924-06-19

III
which are again playing an i'm
portant part in the life of the com
) munity' includes Mt. Eagle, origi-
nally Lord Fairfax's, hunting lodge,
and Woodlawn, built on half of the
Mt. Vernon estate and presented by
George Washington to his favorite
nephew, Fielding Lewis, when he
married Mrs. Washington's grand
daughter, Nellie GUSTS. Then
there's Collingwood Farm, recently
: purchased by Mr.. and Mrs: Mark
Reid Yates, and Marsland-on-the-
Potomac, the country home of Mr..
and Mrs. James A. Drain, which is
much later in date, but has Stiil
enough of historic association to be
interesting. l
RippOn Lodge Antedates Most
Virginia Estates Now Extant.
The latest addition to the group
in point Of purchase date is Nippon
Lodge, which has recently come into
the hands Of Mr.. and Mrs. Wade
Ellis: II. Is; however, the oldest
house Of the lot, having been built
in the early days of the eighteenth
century, antedating Gunston Hall
by many years and possibly even
Mt. Vernon. And the. charming old
estate has had a most interesting
and varied history. -.
Built by Colonel Richard Black
burn and named for the Cathedral
town of Ripon, England-history
sayeth not why the spelling was
changed-whence he came, the deed
of sale to Mr.. Ellis marked but the
fourth transfer which has been exc
cuted from the day the whole north
ern neck of Virginia came to Lord
Fairfax as a crown grant. Twenty
six thousand acres were IN the tract
which was decided oy Lord Fairfax
to Richard Blackburn, and upon
which he built Rippon, Lodge Of
lumber cut on his own estate and
brick imported. from England. For
generations It 2carae down through
the Blackburn arnilly passed Through
marriage to the .Atlsinsons, and was
sold by them some ten or a dozen
years ago to- Thomas Marion, from
whom Mr. Ellis bought IT.
Happily now after being In alien
hands, the place comes to Its own
for Mr.. Ellis mother was, a Rack
burn, a descendant OF q, collatefaI
branch of the family Of Colonel
Richard Blackburn, and his grand
father, Christopher Blackburn, fho
was a Virignian by birth, used re.
queptily to go "a visiting to his
cousins at Rippon Lodge. II was
probably this, association which was
most potent lin causing Mr.. Ellis
to select this picturesque old estate
when looking for = country place
near Washington.
Blackburns Of Rippon Lodge.
Friends Of Washington.
The name of Rippon Lodge is
bound up with Mount Vernon and
Gunston Hall in the annals of the
Virginia of, Colonial and Revolu.
tionary days. In one Of George
Mason's letters he refers to the fact
that his daughters were then visit.
ing at the lodge and the Blackburn
children used to play at Mount Yer
non. indeed two Blackburn girls
married Neutrality-suspicious. Angus
tin Washington and Bushrod Wash
1ngton-the weddings presumably
taking place at Nippon Lodge and
now lie buried at Mount Vernon.
A little walled graveyard is one
Of the most picturesque features OF
Rippon Lodge and there Colonel
Blackburn lies burieds with the his
tory Of his life written on his. tomb
stone. His son, Thomas Blackburn
was a close friend: Of George Wash
ington and rode at the head Of the
funeral procession Of the first. Pres
ident.
Some $50 acres are now left OF
the original estate, most Of it wood
land, and the house crowns a era,
cious eminence some five miles be
yond the, quaint town of: OccoQuarr
The Ellises have. done a, good. ,deal
of restoring, with constant atten
ton to preserving the period atmos
phere. The main house is Georgian
in type, built of frame, with three
huge chimneys of English brick
and two low one-srory wings have
been built on old foundations which
were unearthed, forming a sort soi
a quadrangle. Across this is q
broad columned veranda-not a par,
of the old house, but quite in keep
Ing with its architecture.
Within there are huge fireplaces
with fine mantels, and in the, bis
dining room, after layers and layers
OF paint were removed, beautiful
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