Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-12-02
Kenmore Restoration Under Way

In the house at the present time are
many rare and historic pieces. AS one
enters the hall the eye falls first on the
beautiful clock standing in stately
dignity against the opposite wall. This
was once the property of Mary Ball
Washington, mother of George Wash
ington, and was donated to Kenmore
by the Daughters of 1912 just last year.
In this hall one is impressed by its
coting and the graceful turn of the
stairway, with its dark balustrade rail-
ing and treadS.
great room" are Betty Lewis own
desk, perfect colonial specimen, and
her comfortable fireside chair, with its
low seat, high back and spreading arms.
Above the desk hangs portrait of Col
Fielding Lewis, showing him in the
prime of life, a virile figure, with q
commanding presence that makes 1t
easy to realize why he stood so high in
his community, colonel of all SpottSyl-
vania troops, vestrynan of st. Georges
Church and for many years member
of the House of Burgesses, a man OF
distinguished business ability, wealthy
merchant and large landed proprietor
and above and beyond all else, unself1sh
patriot.
In this room stands also a table
which was once the property of Mary
Ball Washington. The fairy feet OF
beautiful Nellie Gusts often flew across
the floor of this great room, and it
seems very fitting that in it should be
preserved in the China press some
blankets woven for her at Mount
Vernon and a chair that once belonged
to her little son. This spacious room,
with its beautifully embossed stucco
ceiling and arched doorway, was the
scene of many brilliant gathering of
Virginia's socially elect, for Betty Lewis
was hostess of rare charm and grace.
In the dining room at Kenmore at
tention is attracted to the beautiful
ceiling with the head Of Louis XIV as
the central figure, surrounded by
numerous rays as from the sun, the
remainder of the ceiling ornamented in
conventional but none the less beau
tiful design, all in perfect preservation.
1t was done by a French artist. TWO
Chippendale chairs in this room came
from the family of Mildred Gregory,
Washington's aunt and godmother, and
on the wall is one of the guns manu-
featured at the gunnery in 1881. The
particular object of interest in the
library is the table which once belonged
to Nellie Gusts, with her handiwork
framed, given to Kenmore by Mrs.
Wylie Moore.
The association is hoping, as the eff
fort to refurnish Kenmore becomes
more widely known, that other historic
pieces now reposing in various private
families throughout the country may be
donated once more to the mansion.
Mrs. v. M. Fleming, president of the
parent association at Fredericksburg, Is
untiring in her efforts on behalf of
Kenmore and is ably seconded by the
other officers of the association, among
whom Is Mrs. Thomas H. Taliaferro of
this city, second vice president, and also
president Of the Washington branch of
the Kenmore Association. Gov. Byrd
Of Virginia heads the list of sponsors Of
the Kenmore Association, others on this
list being Ex-Gov. Trinkle of Virginia,
John Stewart Bryan, Col. David B.
Devore, Carl Melchers. Mark Sullivan,
DR.. Charles Moore, James A. Emery,
Mrs. Percy Goodsell, Frank c. Baldwin,
Arthur Meeker, Charles M. Lewis, Mrs.
J. Taylor Ellyson and Mrs. Anthony
Wayne Cook.
Kenmore is one of the group of es-
tates sacred to the memory of WASH
ington in the days of his youth and
early manhood. 1t lies only So miles
from Wakefield, where George WASH
ington was born; is less than mile
from the farm where he passed his boy
hood days and only a few hundred
yards from the home of Mary, his
mother, the last named now the prop
erty of the Association for the Preser-
walton Of Virginia Antiquities.
This group, together with Mount
Vernon, makes possible a complete pill
grimage from the site where the infant
destined to found a Nation first saw the
light of day to that solemn room
where i'll, and, foreseeing his own death,
he said simply, II feel myself going, I
thank you for your attentions, but !
pray YOU take no more trouble about
me: Let me go OF quietly; I cannot
last long,"
Not one of this group can be spared.
All should be permanently preserved
for poSterity. The Kenmore Association
is doing a patriotic service in having
saved from destruction the home Of
Betty Lewis and In its present further
efforts to restore and refurnish the
property 1t has so CALAMITY acquired.