Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-03
lotto Appeal in Plans to Restore Washington Birthplace

faulty legends, and unfair traditions
which grew up out of the memory Of
the first President. To- get a picture
Of what Wakefield must have been,
one must note the background from
which the Washington family came, and
for this picture we. are indebted to
Historian Hoppin, who tells us that
the Washington family came to Amer
lea from England In 1856. The founder
of the family here was Col John WASH
ington, who died in 1876, and whose
grave is at Wakefield, as well as the
graves Of members Of the three sue
ceeding generations. Eleven head
stones are now. visible In the graveyard.
Col. John Washington, the great-grand-
father OF George Washington, was "a
years old when he came to America
and took up part Of the Wakefield
the hands Of his descendants.
The oppression Of the Cavalier FAM
lilies of Cromwell drove John WASH
tngton, with thousands of other sons
OF the English landed gentry, to seek
their fortunes in America. Recent
researches have thrown much light on
the strong Royalist position Of the
WashingtonS and their close connection
with the House Of Stuart.
K& X X
DURING the reign of James I, Thomas
washington, an uncle of the
founder of the Washington family in
America, was a member of the rovaI
household. He was appointed page to
the Prince Of Wales, later Charles I,
This high social recognition marks the
standing OF the Washingtons, who had
q prominent place among the landed
gentry OF Northamptonshire and who
were connected by marriage with the
Spencers, Earls of Northampton.
accompanying the Prince Of Wales TO
Spain, Thomas Washington died of
fever In Madrid, where he was buried
IN the ground Of the British embassy.
his Protestant faith preventing his In.
terment elsewhere in Spain.
The brother of Thomas and the
iatner OF the man who emigrated to
America was the Rev. Lawrence wash
lngton, lector of Brasenose College OF
Oxford and proctor of Oxford Uniyer-
sity, a great Royalist stronghold.
The conf1Scation Of estates and other
prosecutions made the outlook bleak Ia
England for the rising cavalier genera.
ton, and John washington was ore 81
the thousands to choose Virginia as
the place whe<e his family would most
likely be free from such occurrences.
Colonial Virginia was not the barren
trackless wilderness that many stories
would lead you to believe. The English,
gentlefolk who settled Virginia brought
with them the picture Of the traditional
English country home, and using the
boundlesS supply Of materials at hand
everywhere built anew these English
homes In the new Virginia
So Wakefield was born. It was moi
crude settlers cabin. As the result
of research and study 1t was found
that the foundations of the original
house still existed and by excavatine
around these foundations an outline was
obtained of the house. From the In
ventory of the estate Of the father oil
George washington list Of furnishing
was obtained and these could never
have fitted into . log cabin. With this
vision Of the furniture, Of the outline
Of the house and what we know oi
other Colonial VirginiA hornes fortu,
nately preserved for Us there has beer