Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01
Capital Sidelights


With the world and his neighbor
making pilgrimage to Mount Vernon,
| the premier shrine of the United
| States. next year over the new Mount
| Vernon Boulevard which is considered
| the finest riverside drive in the world
and which Is to be part Of the George
| Washington Memorial Parkway on both
sides of the Historic Potomac" from
| Mount Vernon and Fort Washington
| to the Great Falls of the Potomac,
| interest has been aroused in the pro-
| posed restoration of old Marshall Hall,
| across the river from Mount Vernon.
For years Marshall Hall has been
| known as q riverside, boat excursion
amusement park, but recently the
Maryland Daughters Of the American
! Revolution brought Marshall Hall
| prominently into the picture of the
| Bicentennial Celebration by placing
! marker on the old mansion, which dis
closes It's true history, and sets 1t right in
American history, where for many years
1t has been camoufiaged in false
| story.
Many have believed and still be-
lieve that this old mansion, still in
wonderful state of preservation despite
| public neglect for many years, was
once the home Of Chief Justice John
/ Marshall Of Virginia. But Miss Minnie
Kendall Lowther, author of the new
adopted in the District of Columbia
schools and of Marshall Hall. assures
us that Marshall Hall is the oldest
| mansion in all the country and one
Of the best preserved. Long before
Alexandria or Washington City was
even dreamed Of II was a landing place
for the mercantile business Of the
william Marshall n Of the Mary
land family obtained 400 acres where
the mansion now stands from the EN-
peror Of the Piscataway Indians. He
| died In 1873, one year before John
Washington obtained title to Mount
Vernon, and his son. William Marshall
II. who lives in history as Eye head
OF Wicomico River" fell heir to this
tract
william Marshall II Is accredited
with the building of the mansion near
1890 and no less an authority than the
old family Bible states that Thomas
Marshall, his third child, was born in
the mansion in 1894.
For six generations It passed from
father to son until the family lost It
in the misfortunes that followed the
War Between the States. But the GEM
etery was reserved, and it lies undis-
turbed with its historic dead, unchanged
in title since the red hand of the
chieftain transferred 1t to the first
William Marshall SO many generations
ago.
Thomas Hanson Marshall of the
third generation of this mansion was
the outstanding master, since he was
contemporary with Gen. washington
bride to Marshall Hall three years
later, and they lived as neighbors I'M
til the death Of Gen. Washington in
1899. Thomas Hanson Marshall lived
on for two years before he was laid In
the family cemetery. He was a cap
tain in the Continental Army, and this
is the 200th anniversary Of his birth.
He was just one year older than George
Washington.
The marker erected by the Thomas
johnson Chapter, D. A. r.. records
that:
"This mansion was built by william
Marshall II about 1890, a half century
earlier than Mount Vernon. William
Marshall I obtained title to this tract
of 200 acres of John Ackelahama, the
Emperor of the Piscataway Indians. For
six generations Marshall Hall passed
from father to sor-a period Of It's
years. From 1756-1801 Capt. Thomas
Hanson Marshall of the American Rev.
olution, a neighbor and lifetime friend
of Gen. Washington of Mount Vernon,
was master of the mansion"
Gov. Richie OF Maryland presented
the State flag to the historic mansion.
Mrs. Cora Marshall Somerson. the last
child born in the mansion of the Mar
shall line, participated in the cere-
monies.
Whenr the Notre Dame eleven plays
the Navy at Annapolis on November IA,
one of the most enthusiastic rooters will
be Representative william j. Granfield
Of Springfield, Mass. the first Demo-
crat to be elected to Congress from that
district in 40 years. For after gradu-
ating from Williston Academy in 1910,
Billy Granfleld went to Notre Dame,
where he played star base ball and
basket ball. Upon his graduation he
signed up to play professional base ball
with the Cincinnati Reds" Base bali
players then did not get the fabulous
sums that stars get today, still $500 or
$500 q month was big help to the
youngster. He soon broke away from
professional base ball to study law. He
Is one of the most loyal Of the Notre
Dame alumni and takes keen interest
in their athletic schedules. The Notre
Dame team will be his guests at the
Capital.