Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-05-17
WOODLAND HOUSE
HAS RARE HISTORY
Designed by DR.. Thornton for
Gen. Neutrality-suspicious.
Home of Nellie Gusts.

Inc purchase of one of the original
George Washington estates known as
w oodiaWn, by Senator Oscar w
Underwood of Alabama, revives stories
OF It's ownership, which are told by
~" '. "S7'N@' onIanS and NirginianS as
substantial contribution to the his
'.eii.dtlons Within sight of the
property is located on the Camp
humphreys road, 16 miles south of
washington, in Virginia, some three
miles west of Mount Vernon At its
hlghest point is the two-Story brick
mouse erected under the personal SUI
perFlslon of George Washington. and
aHordlng fine view of the Potomac
ana the surrounding country
Inc late President Woodrow Viii
son MADE several attempts to buy the
estate from the owner, Miss E. NJ
Sharpe, but she SteadfaStly refused to
sell. Miss Sharpe was the last occu-
pant OF the place, and died about a
year ago. Paul Hester of W-irtland.
Norma Post Office. Va, the well-known
playwright and author. recently fur
hlShed TO n. w. Hilleary, who negotia-
ted the sale, the following descriptive
account of the property.
Designed BY DIR. Thornton.
Woodlawn is built upon a part of
zen. Washington's Mount Vernon
estate. He purchased the tract as a
puiidlng site from one of the Posey
family. and the old Posey well is in
IN cellar under the big dining room.
Iouno II when we were working on the
pace. 1t has been all covered over.
IL is a fine deep well, much older than
the well outside the house. and is
lined with wedge-shaped bricks.
zen. washington left . 0UO acres
10 MS nephew, Lawrence Lewis Chis
sister betty's SOM, who married Mrs
Washlngton's granddaughter. Nellie
Gustls. This 1000 acres included the
Woodlawn tract.
The house as it is now was begun
an iouo' after Mrs. Washington's
oeath, and is from plans drawn by
Or. William Thornton. the architect
OF the Capitol at Washington. These
pans are supposed to have been gone
over by Gen. Washington and then
perfected by Thornton.
1t Is my opinion that the wing
known as Maj. Lewis's wing'-or
ofhce-was built in Gen. Washington s
lifetime, for he speaks of stopping
mere TO see his nephew, and the
building was quite different from any
part OF the main house, as L first knew
IT, IL was older, part of a plan, or
rebuilt TO conform to Thornton's plan.
but bricks and timber were differ 1t.
IN the rebuilding which Miss Sharpe
old this difference may have disap-
peared.
Home of Nellie Gusts.
Nellie GUSTS and Lawrence Lewis
lived for many years at the mansion.
Lafayette was entertained there, and
many famous people. Then they
went up to Clarke County and built
Au6IpN
the care of slaves and an overseer
About 1850 their son, Lorenzo Lewis.
sold Woodlawn to a community of
Quakers from Pennsylvania l believe
they bought the entire 1000 acres. In
any event they bought the mansion
and most of the land. | knew many
or them, all nice people. They divided
the land among them. Woodlawn was
school and home and center for the
colony until they established their
separate homes on their farms
Finally in the division of the land
Woodlawn and 90 acres came to Capt
John Mason mot OF Virginia family,
but of Quaker family. His heirs
hnally disposed of the mansion and
90 acres to the principal owners of
the Mount Vernon Electric Railway
Co, Park Agnew, NJ. B. Marlowe, and
others of Alexandria. Their purpose
was to make resort of the place, and
extend the electric line to it. This
idea was never carried out, and in
1901, as I remember, l bought Wood
lawn and the 65 acres from them The
house was in a terribly dilapidated
condition at that time. | later bought
an additional 65 acres from Mr. Eben
Mason, son of Capt. Mason, who had
owned the mansion.
Il spent about $40, 900 on the place
in restoring the building and then
sold it to Miss Sharpe in the Spring
of 1905. l think l have the years
correctly.
Miss Sharpe held the property
until her death, and was constantly
spending money upon it. And every
thing she did was sound and ju-
dicious. so that Woodlawn is stronger
and finer today than when it was
first put up.
That is the history of the owner.
ship Of the property, and is sub
stantially correct.
Once GIebe Land.
II believe l have heard that at
one time the site where the mansion
now stands was a part Of the glebe
lands, set aside for the support of
the church. If so, that must have been
before the time Of the Posey owner
ship, for l am sure 1t was from the
Posey family that Gen. Washington