Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-02
Denies Washington
Lived i'm Stafford
To the Editor OF The Star:

May one correct in your columns one
of the statements made In The Sum-
day Star of January is. 1923, fifth page,
column eight. wherein 1t Is asserted
| that Augustine Washington, the father
of the first President first bought land
| In Stafford County In 1922 and lived
there several years with his first wife,
Jane Butler, and their three children
! She died In 1929 and on March g.
| 1890. he married Mary Ball and re-
moved to Wakefleld"?
The official public records Of the
counties Of Westmorcland. Prince Will
liam and King George. all of which
| have bccn examined exhaustively by
the undersigned prove that the said
! Augustine Washington never was resi-
| dent within the county of Stafford as
| constituted during his lifetime.
i During the period l720-l735 he Is OF
continuous official record as a legal
| resident in. and public officer Of, the
county Of Westmoreland and during
, the period of 1875 to 1888 he is Of con-
| tinuous official record as a legal resi-
dent and a public officer in the county
of Prince William Under the statutes
ion of Virginia. Augustine Washington
could not then have been legal resi-
| dent elsewhere than within the two
last-named counties.
! The lands OF official public record
that Augustine Washington owned IN
the County OF Stafford were ID a tract
on Accokeek Creek connected with iron
works, 10 miles north of Fredericks-
burg. and 90 a tract at Deep Run,
about miles west-northwest OF Fred
ericksburg, upon neither Of which did
he establish his residence The asser-
ton page 5. column p that George
! Washington spent a greater part of his
boyhood on the farm across the river
III Stafford is. technically, misstate-
ment. for public official records of King
George County prove that he never
lived in Stafford County His father
! Augustine resided in King George
County on the 280-acre part of the
estate previously of William Strother
deceased, and in the eight-room man
SION thereon, from 1899 to his death
early in l743. Georges mother resided
in that same Strother mansion from
| 1879 to nearly or about l748, and
thereafter. to nearly or about 1872, on
her farm. called Little Falls" on the
Rappahannock. about miles below
Fredericksburg. at or near where there
were at one period. ferrieS-one from
| her said land across to Johnstons, and
the other across to Spotswood's. both
southern landings being in Spotsylyania
County. the latter of these ferries being
| referred to in one of George Washing
tons letters of l749. and both Of which
| we're separate from the ferry at Fred
cricksburg
There is no evidence that either
George Washington or his parents ever
lived in the small cottage that stood
on the bank OF the Rappahannock op-
posite Fredericksburg, pictures of which
are being circulated. The only definite
evidence as to by whom. when and
where George Washington was educated
that the undersigned has been able to
ind Is that possessed by the living
descendants Of George Washington 5
/ brothers. lie, that he was taught by
Mr.. williams OF Westmoreland. and By
his own father. who had received a
classical education i'll England. and it
| is quite logical that as tie Kenmore
Association of Fredericksburg states.
| George Washington received instruction
| from Master Hobby Of Falmouth
| (then In King George County, and
| from "Parson Marye AZ Fredericks-
burg" as the boy easily could have daily
| for a season or more ridden horse 10
these schools and back 70 his father
! mansion house" then located in King
George County quite some distance
eastward from Fredericksburg. II Is
equally probable that George received
his first schooling from a private IN
| s:ructor at Eppingwassen. where his
parents resided for nearly four years
| before i74o. on part OF the estate
that later became named Mount Vernon
The undersigned Is also authorized
! to state. by the Wakefield National
| Memorial Association. Inc. which alone
| holds the right 10 rebuild the birth
place of George WASHINGTON and which
| alone owns the Washington family
burial ground and 10 acres Of the
| Wakefield estate. that this association
| has no connection with any other nom
| Official Washingtonian memorial organ
| ization. and also that the statement
| In The Sunday Star OF January Is.
! 1928. that the Citizens Guild Of Fred
ericksburg gave the first thousand dol
| lars to the Wakefield National Memorial
! Association. Inc. requires qualification.
! That honor attaches primarily TO Mrs.
Charles c. Worthington Of Washington,
| D c.. as the first founder" and sec
ondarilv TO Mr. Fl. L. Rust, sr; Mr.
Ilovd Washington. Or. Warner Wash
irgton and DR. Richard Washington.
/ who. in 1923. made the first pavmHrt
securing to the wskefeld National
Memorial Association. Inc the 20 acres
of the Wakefield estate
c. A. HoPPIN.