Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-14
MONROE'S MANSION
+. BECOMING SHRINE
Oak Hill, Near Aide, Va,
Was Built While He Was
in White House.
BY WILL L. KENNEDY.

Oak Hill. the home that James
Monroe fifth President of the United
States. built for himself near Aide,
Va. 35 miles from Washington, in
1921, while President-the nearest to
the Capital of the homes of any of our
Presidents, save that of Washington,
at Mount Vernon--is just being dis
covered" and pilgrimages to the his
toric spot have started.
There Monroe spent much of the
=, last 10 years of his life, visited by
leaders in affairs of state and of inter
Gational import, cooperating in estab-
Ahing the University of Virginia
@Eth the two other former Presidents,
Thomas jefferson. author of the
Declaration of Independence, and
James Madison, Father of the Con-
stitution," who with him constituted
the Virginia dynasty" that for
quarter of a century was dominant in
the affairs Of the young Nation.
There the present owner is collecting
"a veritable museum of furniture and
sother memorabilia with historic back
ground used by our early Presidents.
jefferson and Monroe were students
at old William ana Mary College, in
Williamsburg. in close touch with all
those historic gatherings that reYolu-
tionzed the "l3 original colonies
into the United States of America.
Monroe studied law in Jefferson's
Office. Jefferson, Madison and Monroe
lived three in a room in Philadelphia
while attending the Continental Con-
gress.
Had Varied C0reer.
With the single exception OF John
Quincy Adams, his own Secretary OF
State, no other President served the
country as long as Monroe, and none
hal .iaI
Wher elected President Monroe was
living at 20l7 F street, in Washing
ton. He took the oath OF office March
4, 1917, in front of what is now known
as THE Old Brick Capitol" which was
erected to accommodate Congress
during restoration Of the Capitol
building after its destruction by the
British in 1914. This building is now
the national headquarters of the
Woman's Party, and is to be torn
down to make way for a Supreme
Court Building.
Monroe inherited several thousand
acres of land near Aide, Va, from
Joseph Jones, a Virginia statesman.
whose daughter he married. Washing
the original boundaries of this Oak
Hill plantation is a little stream to
which the Indians gave the name
,Gohongarestan, River of Swans,
which picturesque appellation has
degenerated into Goose Greek.
Built Home in 1921.
Monroe built his home there in
1921, while he was President, evil
IDENTIFY from plans made by his close
friend, Thomas Jefferson. There is
also evidence that James Hoban.
architect of the White House and one
of the architects in charge of build
ing the Capitol. had something TO do
with the erection of the President S
house at Oak Hill. The strongest
evidence that Jefferson made the
original sketch is found in a letter
still in existence from Monroe to
Jefferson requesting him to make the |
plans for a house to be erected In |
Loudoun County, which Jefferson had |
evidently promised to do.
Another indication that jefferson |
may have been the architect is the |
very insignificant placing of the main |
stairs in a small hall, quite character. |
lstic of the Jefferson style.
Jefferson was also inclined to |
occasionally depart from the correct
classic designs, and this is evidenced
by an odd number ca of Doric
columns 80 feet high and feet in
circumference on the south piazza of
Oak Hill, which is tn important
facade. This porch overlooks a ter
raced garden which is being care.
fully restored.
The mansion is of red brick, three
stories high, in the Georgian style and
severely plain. 1t is unique in that
porch floors, hearthstones and walks
are of fiagstones covered with dino
saur tracks, from. a quarry on the es-
tate.
The house was evidently completed
Just before the visit of Gen. Lafayette
to this country. There is in existence
letter written by Mr.. Monroe to an
intimate friend living at his old home.
In Albemarle County, stating that the
new house at Oak Hill was about COM
pIeted and that he and Mrs. Monroe
were expecting to have Gen. Lafayette
as one of their first guests. 1t was
doubtless President Monroe's interest
In the building and furnishing of his
new home that suggested to Gen.
Lafayette that ii would be gracious
act TO present two of the most con-
spicuous mantels to Monroe for his
new residence. At any rate, the two
white marble mantels are there as evil
dence of the marquis esteem for the
former envoy to France. These man.
tells, at either end Of the two drawing
rooms. are of exquisite craftsmanship
and were imported from France.
Table Made by Duncan Phyffe.
There is still in the house a table
with a circular top feet in diameter
which has been there since Monroe
himself had it made from a cross sec
ton through q mahogany log pre-
scented to the President by the govern
ment OF Santo Domingo. This table
was designed according to the general
style of Duncan Phyffe and is believed
TO have been made in his shop.
Mrs Monroe and one OF their CauEh-
tiers, who died at Oak Hill. were buried
In the garden until comparatively re-
Gently, when they were moved to Rich
xnond at the time that President Mon
roe was reinterred there.
There is still standing some so yards
west of the mansion the small log
cottage in which the President and
his family lived on visits to the estate
while the new house was being built.
This quaint cottage was then more
than q century old, so that it is to-
day considerably more tn % years
old. Between this and the mansion is
the brick smokehouse which is s-ill
used.
The Oak Hill mansion has always
been we'll taken care of by the sue
cessiye owners. Monroe left The
White House desperately poor after Il
half century of public service and re-
tired 10 his country home near Aide.
Six years later feeble and alone after
the death Of his wife in 1890, unable
To keep up" the big estate, he sold
IL in the closing months of his life.
The last two letters that passed be-
tween Monroe and Madison, who sur
vived him by five years. contain refer
ences 10 the former being compelled
to give up his estate. Feeling like an
exile this last of the Virginia "dv-