Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05

Nellie Gusts, sister Of George WASH
ington Parke Gusts; one Of John Parke
Gusts and one of Martha Parke Gusts
by Wollaston painted In 1760, portrait
Of Lafayette by Charles Wilson Peale,
one Of George Washington by the same
artist In 1772, a portrait of Mrs. Daniel
Parke Gusts and Of Mrs. Washington
by Wollaston in list.
"An these portraits were taken from
the mansion by Mrs. Lee in 1861. They
later went to the Washington and Lee
University. where they now are Under
the law providing for the restoration it
has been arranged to have copies made
Of these paintings to be hung in the
mansion. Various patriotic organiza-
lions are making copies Of certain ones
Of these portraits.
1.-THE copy Of the portrait Of Lafayette
by Peale Is the gift Of the Society Of
the Cincinnati. The copy of the por-
trait Of George Washington by Peale is
the gift Of the Society Of Colonial Wars.
Both Of these copies are now in France
at the facsimile Of Mount Vernon in
connection with the Colonial Exposition.
The third portrait which Is now being
copied Is that of Mrs. Daniel. Parke
Gusts martha Washington, which is
ONA@S "a CcCAAtCo ny OAAC AduBAlLGkS VI Lie
American Revolution, to be given to the
mansion when completed.
Table h Restored.
There have been q few lovely gifts
and some splendid loans of furnishings.
The very beautiful table in the State
dining rooms was formely the property
Of John Randolph Of Roanoke, Va, and
descended in the family to d. Tucker
Brown Of Alexandria, who has loaned
1t to the Arlington mansion. The din
tng-room chairs, to be placed in this
same room with the John Randolph
table. are reproductions Of Sheraton
chairs originally in Mount Vernon,
later In Arlington and now in the Ma
tional Museum. The sideboard Is the
gift OF Capt. z. Hayne Davis, a Con-
federate officer who served with Lee.
On his death he willed the piece to the
restoration project"
Col. Mortimer explained that the
wording OF the law directing restora-
ton Ito the condition in which it
existed Immediately prior to the Civil
War" restricts him in accepting several
gifts because Of the necessity for put
ting In there only furniture Of the
proper period.
"Only two OF the rooms are COM
pletely furnished, the so-called Lafay-
cite room, formerly occupied by Mary
Lee and which was occupied by La
fayette on his visit in 1924, and the
bed chamber occupied by Gen and Mrs.
Robert E. Lee on the same dcor. We
are now trying to furnish the Gusts
room with beautiful Heppelwhite pieces.
Thus far we have a wonderful four
poster bed and several other pieces.
The very beautiful crystal chande-
lier in the state drawing room is a
gift to the mansion from Mrs. Mar
garet Skerrett Milne.
We have had several very interest
ing bedcoverS donated. One Of these
tors, waith staples white cloth in
intrice design, woven by hand, bearing
the initials Of the woman who made it
and the date 1914. This waith staples
cloth was presented by Mrs. Daniel C..
Kingman, widow Of Gen. Kingman.
formerly chief Of Engineers of the
Army. 1t descended to her from her
great-grandmother. It Is on the bed
IN the Lee girls room, adjoining the
Lafayette room. It is on q bed pre-
sented by heirs Of Mrs. Holmes Conrad,
widow Of the former solicitor general
OF the United States. It Is said to have
been In the family for more than l25
years.
Veteran Returns Key.
In the same room is q very Interest,"
ing miniature bureau. This piece orig
inally was the property of Anne Hill
Carter Lee and was given by her to
her niece on the occasion of her mar
rage, about 1912.
An old Civil War veteran in Massa-
chusetts contributed his bit to the res
toration in the shape Of an ornate
brass key TO q secretary in Mr.. Gusts
once. George p. Marsh of Medford.
Mass, made this donation"
Col. Mortimer has received from the
Robert E. Lee Chapter Of the United
Daughters Of the Confederacy at Kan
sas City very fine old wall clock, made
by Jacobus de Deurwaur in Holland in
1852.
Murals Have Survived.
Some Of the mural paintings in the
mansion have survived the years and
the wear and tear during use Of the
old home as superintendent's ofice
in surprisingly good shape. Those over
the west door In the main hallway of
the mansion are well preserved today.
Cracks have occurred in places, but the
paintings are intact and may be seen
by all visitors. Other paintings were Of
George Washington,s white horse and
two Of American eagles. These, with
the passage Of years and the wear of
the elements have badly disintegrated
and are now being restored.
In the basement store room we
found very beautiful door and tried
vainly for q long time to find the place
where It formerly hung. There seemed
to be no frame where It would ut. But
when we were tearing out the modern
plumbing It was disclosed that this old
door belonged to . hall closet that had
been turned into bath room. It faces
the conservatory on the south side of
the main building and Is now back in
It's original place.
Several small statuary pieces which
formerly adorned the mantel in the
family sitting room, after considerable
travelling about, are now back home
again as the gift Of George e. Bedell.
The restoration Of the historic
Arlington gardens has hardly been
started, due to the fact that q study Of
the old gardens which was In progress
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