Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-08

No phase of the movement for resto-
ration of Americas national Shrines
inspires greater popular interest and ap-
prevail than the Wakefield Memorial
Association project at the birthplace
Of Washington. Wakefield Is brought to
public attention just now by the an
nouncenent Of financial assistance from
John D. Rockefeller, jr.
America halls with peculiar Joy. "
AYERS the Atlanta Journal, "the assur-
ance that George Washington's birth
place is to be reincarnated in brick and
stone, in shrubbery and flowers, in the
beauty of nature and the glory Of his
tory, and preserved forever as national
shrine. Thanks to the generous patriot
ism of John D. Rockefeller, jr., virtually
all of the estate of Augustine Washing
ton, along the banks Of the Potomac,
where the hero-to-be first saw the light
Of day, has been acquired as public
trust. Until five years ago, when Presi-
dent Coolidge made a pilgrimage to
Wakefield, there was a popular notion
that Mount Vernon was George Wash
ington's earlier as we'll as later home.
A monument erected by the Federal
Government to mark the place of the
first Presidents birth had long passed
into the haze of things forgotten. when
Mr. Coolidge, steaming up the Potomac
one day, ordered the Mayhower to cast
anchor at PopeS Greek. He rambled
over the old plantation. News of the
incident served to remind the country
OF hallowed but neglected ground"
~ y X
ct now may be accounted as reason
ably certain" suggests the Boston Tran
script, "that when the Nation wends its
way to the National Capital three years
hence, to pay tribute to the memory of
its founder, the people will be able to
see reincarnated the house and the
estate where the Father of His Country
first saw the light and lived until his
fourth year. Through the generosity of
Mr.. Rockefeller, this worthy project has
received material aid. The association
had bought and paid for 10 acres of
attractive land adjoining the water
front and the birthplace, for hospice,
camp sites, wharf and the general &C
commodation of the public also the
land Immediately surrounding the burial
lot of the Washington family, and a
right of way therefrom to the main
highway extending between Washing
ton and Fredericksburg. Mr.. Rookie
Teller now has purchased and placed in
trust for the association 267 acres
more"
"A popular Misrepresentation Of the
place." records the Nashville Banner,
gained wide currency through the his
torian, Losing, who printed drawing
OF a small four-roon1 house not greatly
superior to the birthplace of Lincoln
This was drawn for LOSING by an old
resident of the locality who remem-
bercd such a house on the Strother-
washington estate. The investigator
for the Wakefield Association found a
copy of the inventory of the estate of
the father of George Washington, list
ing household furniture which would
fill several cottages the size of that pic
tured by LOSING" The Banner refers
to an examination Of the foundations
of the burned mansion as further evil
dence, and concludes: 1.-THE great man.
growing greater as the years pass, has
many memorials. Sulgrave Manor,
England, the home of his English an
cestors: Wakefield, the place of his
birth, and Mount Vernon, his home
and the scene of his death, are fit
shrineS to his memory"
X 4
Through the efforts of Charles Ar
thur Hoppin, historian" says the Fargo
Forum. enough facts have now been
gathered to make q replica of the man
sion, for such 1t was. The WashingtonS
were landed proprietors in Virginia.
= In the early days of the Re-
public there was not so much thought
of preserving these shrines as there Is
today. Or IL there was the thought,
there was not the means available.
The Rockefeller gift, which is SUM-
GENTLY large to insure the success Of the
movement to rebuild Wakefield, is there
fore notable one. And not only Is the
but those who conceived the idea have
made a valuable contribution TO pos
terity."
"One wondsrs that the preservation
OF such aSgst IS snksstoric monument