Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-26
ny JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR.

A ELLINGTON House and Arlington
~ Cemetery have been written oil
"A most entertainingly and inter-
4 \ eStingly many times. and nc
doubt many readers have some
knowledge, at least, Of the general his.
tory. But not so as to the man who
owned the estate and erected the man.
sion. who made 1t his home for more
than half a century and who lived
there until his death. Indeed, COM
paratively little has been written OF him
Perhaps 1900 feet to the southwest
OF Arlington House as ii stands today
overlooking the Washington which was
village when the mansion was erected
and in a beautiful grove OF tall oaks.
are two monuments, erected over the
remains of the once proprietor of the
estate and his wife. The plot may
easily be located since IL is incloSed
With an iron fence. and. as 1t so hap
pcus. these grcv"S are th> only ones
in the cemetery protected in this way.
The markers are not pretentiouS ones.
but they are typical Of the simplicity
ana nlodeSty of those who repoSe be-
nesti1 hem when living and surround
&c with almost every luxury. Upon
reading the inscriptions on these r,onu-
n,erts che will find that they are placed
there TO the memory Of George Wash
.neto9 Pare f.'s.is and his wife. who
was, prior to her marriage. Mary Lee
F:tzhugh.
Maybe il would be we'll for the writer
to give q brief outline of the ancestry
Of the man generation or two back
anywe--. fc~ many may have forgotten
his leia. 7ysllip to that greatest Of all
American rs who adopted him When he
was scarcely six months old. sa1 tcr
ct
ton.
Martha Washington, wife Of the first
President. was married twice. Her first
husband was Col Daniel Parke Gusts.
wau had married her when she IVES
coale!y and petite maiden Of sweet II.
ard. as Martha cambridge. had beer the
re:en:ng belle a; Williamsburg, then the
most prominent place IN the Old Domin-
Ion. made SO through the meeting there
OF the rcyal governors of the colony
when they held their court.
AS Mrs Gusts. Martha had four chill
6ren They were: Frances, who died
In infancy: Daniel. who also died young.
ard John and Martha.
Daniel Parke Gusts died in the Spring
o. 1857. at the age Of 80 years, and
left, besides his widow, the two surviv-
ing children. John Parke Gusts and
Z
death he was possessed of an estate es-
t!-7ateS at over 100000.
WASHINGTON and Mrs. Gusts were
p" married on January 6, 1859. and
the bride brought to George, as part of
the property willed her. a legacy OF
so 900 pounds sterling, consisting OF Ger
titlcates Of deposit On the Bank OF Eng
land. Enclosed in q small iron chest.
which. IN later years. was for q long
time in the custody of Mrs. Washing
tons grandson. George Washington
Parke Gusts. at his Arlington home,
but which now forms part OF the
Washington exhibit in the National
Museum It is Of design common in
Colonial days. and Of the type used by
wealthy families up to the time Of the
invention Of the iron safe OF more re-
cent period.
From this 1t will be seen that when
Washington married the beautiful
Widow Gusts. and she said. with all
ny earthly goods / thee endow." the
statement was a real, practical one.
However, do not get the idea that
Washington was pennileSs. for, indeed.
he was well fixed. too. and the marriage
only proved at most the joining OF two
hearts and two fortunes. The story at
tributed to David Burnes OF once saying
20 Washington. IF you had not mar
RED the Widow Gusts. with her LANDS
and slaves. you would never have been
anything but a poor surveyor can
easily be passed up as unfounded. We
must admit that Burnes had some sense
anS must have known that Washing
ton was rich in his own right.
AS evi6ence OF this. when his brother.
Lawrence Washington, died. he, by his
will. dated June %. 1852. left his entire
estate 10 his infant daughter. Sarah.
With the provision that should she die
without issue q further distribution Of
the property 50 wiIled was 10 be made
between his widow and his brothers.
TIE father died June rs. 1852. and the
daughter, Sarah, only survived him by
few months. Lawrence's widow. de-
sirirg 70 marry Col. George Lee. gladly
accepted q dover right in lieu of the