Evening star., 1926-08-22

of the family. Many of the lineai
descendants of Ryce Hooe are now
living In Washington, among the most
useful and progressive of Its citizens.
X X y
THE Wakefield Memorial road which
l. the Government is building will
be- about eight miles from the river.
but the builders of the bridge will
continue their highway until it joins
this thoroughfare, the route being
very much the same as that taken
by the messenger of Gov. Josiah Fen
dali of Maryland when he made his
way to Wakefield Manor. The Gov
ernment has practically abandoned
the idea of rebuilding the first home
of the Washlngtons, but 1t has erect
ed monument on the site where
George Washington p. Custis placed
a. slab of freestone in 1915, on which
was the simple inscription, Here tn"
11th of February (A.S). 1892. George
Washington was born" Washing
tonians may recall the tireless efforts
of the late Susan REVERE HitZei, one
of the pioneer members of the ID.
A. r.. to gather funds to erect a
statue to Mary Ball, the mother OF
George Washington, within the ma
tional inclosure. 1t is a logical pill
grimage from Wakefield to Freder-
icksburg, where Mary Ball Washing
ton and her young children found
refuge after the mansion at Wakefield
had burned. They lived in a modes.
cottage on the outskirts of the old
city, and there the great patriot ended
his boyhood and went forth in his
youth as a surveyor. 1t was there.
too, that Mary Ball Washington died
during those days when this countrv
was struggling for its independence.
In Fredericksburg is also the. state
ly mansion of Kenmore. to which
Fairfield Lewis led his bride, Betty
Washington, the only sister of the
first President. 1t is now q national
shrine, purchased by some patriotic
Virginians and used as the headquar
ters of the Fredericksburg Chapter of
the ID. A. r. On beautiful hill
overlooking this city is the ancestral
home of the Fitzhughs. Chatham.
which was built by William Henry
Fitzhugh having been copied from
the Fitziugh home in Scotland. The
interior was decorated most elaiI-
orately, and the furnishings were
considered the most. perfect OF the
time. The salon was purchased BY
the Metropolitan Museum of Art .i,i
New York and is admired by thou
sands, i'm the American section. After
Thomas jefferson married the beau.
tiful Martha SHELTON, in Williams
burg Va, he spent part of his honey
moon at Chatham on his way to Mon
ticello. The Fitzhughs intermarrietl
with the Lees. and the splendid es-
tate of the first Lee in Virginia, Straf-
ford. is but a short motor trip from
Williamsburg. Strafford is a han4-
some yellow brick mansion. and ~
der its circular dome Richard ] :e
held the court baron" as lord VI
the manor. and in the basement D.
low his stewards held "cOurt-leet' for
the tenants. Lexington. where Gen.
Robert Edwin Lee, the chieftain or
the Confederacy, lies in recunibent
marble, is not far to the north, and
on the way there is a succession OF
fine Lee homes erected by the various
branches of this distinguished family.
Those in pursuit of historic man
sions of Virginia may continue their
journey in the valleys of the Kappa
hammock and to the shores Of the
James River. Those who wish to re-
trace their steps over the bridge to
Maryland may visit the noted shrines
of Catholic Maryland, which are prin-
cipally located in st. Marys and nv
Charles Counties. The Catholic hier-
archy of the United States already
has made plans to celebrate the elab
crate ceremony of the tercentenary
of the landing of Leonard Calvert and
the pilgrims of the ARK and the
Dove" This will occur on March 2S -
1884. and Catholics from every part
of the United States will visit Mary
land. 'and will no doubt cross the
river to pay homage to the founder
of the Nation at his birthplace at
Wakefield, his later home In Fredel--
icksburg and his final resting place
at Mount Vernon.