Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-06
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

For the information of the youth o.
the land, who are especially interested
in the boyhood of George Washington
now that plans are being made for {
nationwide celebration OF the 20Oth an.
niversary OF his birth, Representative,
r. Walton Moore OF Virginia has JUS
made an authentic summary which vii
soon be sent into every school hous,
throughout the country by the Centen.
NAL Commission, of which Representa-.
tive Sol Bloom of New York and Col
U. S. Grant, Sd. are associate directors
Representative Moore, in whose dis.
trict Washington spent most of his life
and who Is credited with being one Of
the best informed men on the life Of
Washington and the early history Of
virginia. says that the home life Of
George Washington, born in 1882. wa,
confined to Wakefield, his birthplace
the Ferry Farm, where he spent most OF
the time Of his early youth ard schoo
days from 1889 TO 1747, and Mount Yer.
non, where he lived from his sixteenth
year until his death.
The Ferry Farm. which the family oc.
cupled until WaShington'S father, Au.
gustine washington, died there in l743
and where his mother continued TO live
until l772, Is picturesquely located or
the STAFFORD Heights. on the north shore
OF the Rappahannock River opposite the
city OF Fredericksburg. and Is now beins
restored. The restoration work, in
charge OF patriotic association, Is be.
ing steadily carried forward and ha,
every nFngnAFf NJ
completed.
This effort has the approval of tn,
Legislature Of Virginia, expressed in 4
resolution which declares that the
George washington Foundation. Inc. i
endeavoring Ito restore the place a,
nearly as possible to its condition exist.
ing during Washington's boyhood DAYS
so that the youth Of this land ma,
understand the conditions under which
ne was reared, In order that they ma,
pc Taught that he was q natural rather
man deifed being. and that 1t is no,
Impossible for every child to emulate HI,
ness OF conviction"
This work OF restoration also has tn,
approval OF the United States Oeorrt
Warrington Bicentennial Commission
Wnlcn by resolution declared that tn.
purpose Is to dedicate the pronertv a,
shrine for the boys and girls of Amer.
Ica, IN oruer TO impress upon the younRe,
generation the lessons that are tauSh,
oy the life of Gen. Washington"
representative Moore's research show
mat the property which Augustin,
washington purchased from the execu.
.ors OF william Strother is described ir
t t,Ie advertisement OF sale published b,
Gne executors in the Virginia GazettS
OF WILLIAMSBURG IN AortI SO
follows: ~''o' a.
One tract containing 100 acres. Twin.
soout miles below the falls of thu
Happahannock, close on the riverside
Win handsome dwelling house. thre.
SUorehouses, several other convenien
outhouses and ferry belonging tn il
~ Is very beautiful situation and YER,
commodiouS for trade" w.
washington on reaching manhoot
mace large addition to the oripina
acreage, and on his first appe arance II
fredericksburg, after resigning his com,
mission as commander in chief Of tn,
SSonCInentai Army, Gen. Washington re-
OF my growing infancy and the b6nor
aole mention which 1t made of INV "a
Vereo mother, by whose maternal S.nd
manhood" was Ieo
WINE living at this farm washinstoy
aCIehoeo school in Falmouth a naerb,
VLHsge, and in Fredericksburg Scros,
the river To 1t attach the famous stor,
Oh the CHEEKY tree. for which parso;
WeemS is responsible. and MANY tradi
IONS pertaining to his unusual youthf,,
Vlgor and activity. ''' !"
". Albert Bushnell Hart of Harvarr
conversely, DR.. H. J. Eckenrode of tn,
University OF Richmond and other his.
CoiianS' ny tnelr Investigations, have re
;.t All oo0ot, II any ever really ex
Nteo' as TO WashingtonS identifcatio
with the Ferry Farm. '-0A
DR.. Charles Moore. chairman ~ th,
commission Of Fine Arts and until re-.
Gently chief of the manuscript division
IN the Library of Congress. in a recen,
geographical study of the home life ~
Ine Washington family, says of tn,
Ferry Farm: '''
The earliest home that Washington
knew was Ferry Farm, and all the nre
coclous boy could acquire I'D to the 40,
OF II years he here acquired, in com.
pany with his sister and brother and 4
large troop Of cousins. There is M
pace IKE small town in which K
gam knowledge Of good and evil, to
seCner with some proficiency in prac.
tice. and George was unlike other bovs
He even bore teasing for rompine witt
the big girls at school,
Joseph D. Sawyer, another biogra-
pher, calls attention that the old farm
buildings have disappeared, with one
noteworthy exception-that is the lit.
Tie one-story structure which the Youth
1ul washington used as a work room
the only structure now in existence
which IS positively known to have been
IN constant use by him during his bow
MOOD. The new buildings on the farm
occupy practically the same site As
Cnose OF George WaShington's youth.
on these same heights are the
preastWorkS where, on the Washington
farm lands, the FederalS planted some
OF their 100 cannon and on December
Is, 1862, Shelled the town of Fredericks-
burg. Some of these cannon, CARRYING
iO-pound projectiles, were strung along
the Washington Heights. Here tn.
Northern troops made their stand and
ooeying orders, crossed the river on
pontoons to attack the Confederate
stronghold on Maryes Heights, meeting
oeIeat with unprecedented slaughter.
Mount Vernon, under the control of
the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
OF the Union, Is in q splendid state o.
preservation. Representative Moore adj
vlses the youth Of the land in inviting
them to make pilgrimage there during
the bicentennial period. AS this ereaf
celebration approaches, the house All
Wakefield In which Washington was
born Is to be rebuilt, its surroundings
beautif1ed and ample protection pro-
vided for the graveyard where many OF
the Washington family are buried.
There is to be constructed on the
Ferry Farm duplicate OF the nous,
which stood there when Washington
was a boy, exact pictures of which are
available. and much else is to be done
which will serve to create q shrine to
De visited from all over the United
States. in close proximity to those other
shrineS at Mount Vernon and Wake
field.