Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-02-20


Woodruff Martin of Norton Park worcestershire
England has given an ancient English manor
house to be used as hotel for American Nlsitols
to Sugrave Manor; she is the Mrs. Victoria Woou
hun who ran for President in the Grant-Gree'ey
campaign of 1872 and is the wealthy WIDOW, NJ"
eighty SEVEN of John Bdulph Martin an Engiish
banker. The American Bar association vsHed
Sugrave Manor last summer as the guest OF the
Sulgrave Institution of Great Britain and deposit
ed in the museum number OF historical relics VI
Importance. President Coolidge recalled TO the
recollection of his countrymen an almost forgot
ten spot which should be Washington shrine by
paying an unadvertised visit last summer 10 the
birthplace of the "Father of His Country
George Washington was born February IL, 1872
on Pope's Creek Farm Westmoreland county, Vlr-
ginia The place is on the west bank OF the 70
tomac river 81 miles from Washington by auto
mobile and about IS by boat Alongside the ROAD
Is small tablet with the inscription, This is
Wakefield George Washington, however, never
knew the place as Wakefield" That name was
given the farm by William Augustine Washington,
his nephew.
The visitor turns in on we-kept road con-
structed by the federal government. After mile
or two he comes out into little clearing on
knoll among the pines. At the center of the knoll,
inside high iron fence rises a granite shaft
bearing the inscription George Washlngtons
Birthplace" There is no date. This monument
is 80 feet high, of the same pattern as the Wash
ington monument at the capital and was erected
by the federal government in 1896. At the same
time the federal government constructed an iron
boat landing on Bridges creek, a mile away, and
so restricted its use that boats refused 10 lana;
IT. is now In ruins.
Pope's creek winds about the edge of the clear
inc and gives its name to the approximately
thousand acres comprising what always has been
known as the Washington farm. Pope's creek took
Its name from Col Nathaniel Pope, from whom
John Washington, the immigrant bought this farm
about 1852 and whose daughter Anne Pope he
married 1t is now prosperous farm in the pos
session Of the Latane brothers pronounced Lat-a-
new who apparently have come to it through In
hertance,
The house in which washington was born was
burned so long ago that the date has been forgot
ten In 1913 George Washington Parke Gusts
marked the spot with a big boulder of Potomac
! limestone Visitors Clipped much of the stone
away and during the Civil war the last fragment
of il was carried off. This stone inscribed
with the date of Washington's birth and the names
OF his parents
John Washington of Northamptonshire Eng
land came to the northern neck" of Virginia as
this region is known. in 1857 and bought his farm
of Colonel Pope. He left 1t to his son Lawrence
"Captain" Lawrence Washington-and he to his
son Augustine the father of George Washington.
Augustine was born on the old home place In
! 1894 and In 1915 took as his wife Jane Butler,
daughter of Caleb Butler, neighbor. From this
union sprang four children but only two Angus
| tine and Lawrence, outlived childhood On the
death of Jane Butler-Washington in 1929 the
! widower married Mary Ball of Lancaster county
The Ball homestead, called Eppng Forest Is still
standing The children resulting from this mar
rage were: George, Samuel John Augustine
/ Charles Elizabeth and Mildred. The last named
died in infancy. When Augustine, the father of
| George died in 1743, he left the home place
Popes creek to his son Augustine. To his sec
ond son Lawrence he bequeathed Mount Vernon
He bequeathed TO George, when he should come
| of age the farm on the Rappahannock opposite
/ Fredericksburg.
The farm on which George Washington was
| born passed on the death of Georges brother
Augustine to the latter's son, William Augustine
WashingteA and next to his son. George Corbin