The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-02-06

across 1t, owing to grading done for
the monument, clearly defines the
basement story indicated by the small
half-windows.
With such basement indicated, the
conclusion followed that the first floor
above was topped by an attic, of a
height sufficient to admit of four bed
rooms with dormer windows and Chin
neys through the outer end, walls pro-
viding ireplaces. The comparative
lightness af the foundations govern
the height of the building, of course.
All this, moreover. is strictly in the
Virginia tradition of the period, for
that type of house was not uncommon
in the first half of the Eighteenth CEN
fury.
The room in which George Washing
ton was born was at the left, back
corner Of the house; that is to say,
the right, front room from the other
side; for the house was double-faced,
in the custom Of the period, with one
front toward the highway and the
other toward the water, two front
doors connected by hall running
across the house.
The kitchen, outside, will be rebuilt
on the site of the foundation Of the
great chimney whose foundation is
still there, outside the main founda-
ton walls, indicating that it was large
enough to roast an OK in. The care
taker will live there. 1t was in that
spot that the eXcavators found many
pieces Of broken crockery and bones.
Some of these pieces are now on ex-
hibition in the National museum at
Washington.
A round table, saved from Wake
field at the time Of the fire, and which
tradition in the Washington family
says was brought from England in
1860, has been presented by Mrs. H.
L. Rust, president of the Wakefield
association, for placing in the house
when it is restored.
The broken Washington platter, in
the salt glaze in vogue in 1875, has
been restored by potters and dupli-
Gates will be soon available. Other
pieces of furniture and other belong
ings from the original house are doubt
less extant in various parts of the
country, and the association hopes by
purchase or by gift to acquire them
for the memorial. These will be en-
tered in the Golden Book of Wakefield,
as q record of the donor.
Among the pictures that will be
placed on the walls are replica Of
Gilbert Stuart's portrait of Washing
ton as President, and Rembrandt
Peale's Lafayette, painted in Paris,
which have already been presented by
Mrs. L. K. Graves and Mrs. H. p.
Woodruff.
Another project, apart from the re-
building and refurnishing of the house,
which the Wakefield association has
undertaken, is the rebuilding of the
ancient log house. 1t will stand on
the site of log house that used to
be on the estate. Furthermore, the
association has purchased, by formal
deed of conveyance executed by the
present Washington heirs, title to the
family burial ground. In the ancient
arched vault ten members OF the
Washington family, including the IA
Their of George, are buried.
The Wakefield Memorial association
has asked the United States govern
ment to dredge and improve the har-
Dor, to admit visitation by boat from
the Potomac river, to build an ade-
quate wharf and to landscape the
grounds, after the present granite
shaft has been removed from the site
of the birthplace. 1t is expected that
such cooperation will be given, so that
everything will be ready for the COM
memoration of the two hundredth an
niversary of Washington's birth in
1892.
90 by Western Newspaper Union.S