Evening star., 1930-06-15
WORKERS TO MAKE
WAKEFIELD BRICK
WaShington'S Birthplace to
Be Rebuilt by Memorial
Association.

Within q week or two the foreman
and q number of his assistants. who
have been forming the handmade CO.
lonial brick for the restored houses at
Williamsburg, Va, will 60 to Wakefield,
on the Potomac River below Washing
ton, to manufacture handmade bricks,
with which the house in which George
Washington was born viii be rebuilt, ac-
cording to an announcement made here
yesterday by Mrs. Harry Lee Rust, pres
1dent OF the Wakefield Memorial Asso-
citation.
These experts in the making of brick
BY hand, in the same manner as bricks
were made In the Colonial period, will
be loaned to the Wakefield Association
by John D. Rockefeller, jr., who is paw
ing for the restoration of WILLIAMSBURG,
the Colonial capital of Virginia.
MRS. Rust said that all of the work
On the house at Wakefield will be done
oy hand, even the woodwork, to carry
out the Colonial idea and make it as
nearly like the original Wakefield as
possible. The bricks will be made en-
the spot of brick clay there available,
such as was used originally to build the
drst house of Wakefield
Hope to Begin Work in Fall.
1t is hoped by Mrs. Rust and the
others in charge of the restoration of
NN0ACAACAA bA4db b11C actual WOTk OF re-
constructing the house viii begin in
september. The greatest pains have
been taken to learn the exact appear
ance Of the original house, inside and
cut.
Mrs. Rust has been collecting furni-
ellre which was once used in Wake
neld house and already has a number
OF very handsome Colonial pieces
which viii be installed in the house
after 1t has been rebuilt.
In ner report to the association a few
Gays ago Mrs. Rust said that the as
sociation's architect j. Edward Donn.
Jr, OF this city. has developed the
plans for the mansion from the excava-
tons and other data" She quoted the
Fine Arts Commission as saying: "Mr.
Donn's studies and practice in the res
toration of Virginia mansions make him
an authority without a superior"
Mrs. Rust also explained how in 1926
excavations were made "on the sight
OF the birthhouse." Many interesting
discoveries were made which have en-
abled the architect to draw plans for
the house which viii follow the original
lines closely. Charles Arthur Hoppin.
noted as an examiner of ancient records
OF persons and property, has made a
study OF Wakefield and the memorial
association Is relying largely upon his
findings with regard to the appearance
OF the exterior and interior of the house.
The rebuilding of Wakefield is being
paid for partly by private subscription
and partly by the Government. 1t is to
be one Of the permanent memorials to
George Washington that will be dedi-
Gated in 1892, when the 200th anniver-
sary Of his birth is celebrated all over
the Nation in accordance with plans
now being formulated by the Federal
Government through the agency of the
George Washington Bicentennial Com
mission, created by act of Congress.
Two Groups Cooperate.
The George Washington Bicentennial
Commission and the Wakefield Me-
mortal Association are working in close
cooperation. Both have their headquar-
ters in this CITY,
The movement for the restoration of
Washington's birthplace took form when
Mr.. and MRS. H. L. Rust issued invita-
tons seven years ago this month to
representative persons, which resulted
IN the formation of the association to
restore Wakefield, birthplace of George
Washington, In Westmoreland County,
Va. The association was Incorporated
under the laws Of Virginia, January 1S,
1924. Its purpose was two-fold-not only
TO rebuild Wakefield, but to recover the
long neglected birthplace of Washing
ton, and, as Mrs. Rust expressed it in
her recent report, ''to make It a place
Of pilgrimage for all the people"