Evening star., 1932-01-16
WASH|NCTON'S LIFE
AS BOY IS RECALLED
Historian of Natives Society
Presents Paper Dealing
With His Early Days.

The boyhood of George Washington,
from his very early years at Wakefield
to his residence at Mount Vernon, was
related at the meeting of the Society OF
Natives of the District of, Columbia
last night at the Washington Club by
James F. Duhamel, historian of the
society
Mr.. Duhamel's paper was one of a
series dealing with the life of the
first President. Washington's stay at
Wakefield, his birthplace, was ex-
tremely short and was not recalled
by him in his later life, Mr.. Duhamel
told the society 1t was when the
future hero of the United States was
only 3 years old that he was taken
to Eppwassen on the Potomac River,
between Dogue Run and Little Hunt
ing Creek This site was subsequently
to become known as Mount vernon,
that name having been given to the
estate by George Washington's protner
Lawrence.
The first home at Mount Vernon was
built, the historian recited for the So
ciety, by Angus Washington. The
structure was some distance from the
present mansion and was nearer to
the highway which skirted the Wash
ington property. George lived with his
family in this house for four years
when at the age of 7, he moved with
mis- family to Ferry Farm, opposite the
lower end of Fredericksburg. His
brother Lawrence, however, remained
at Mount Vernon.
Educated at Fredericksburg.
According to Mr.. Duhamals account,
it was at Fredericksburg, then the sec
ond largest town in Virginia, that
George Washington received his educa-
ton. George became ambitious to
enter the British Navy, Mr.. Duhame
told his fellow Natives, but he was
discouraged in this by his uncle Ball
then in England. His interest In the
British Navy was stimulated, Mr.
Duhamel suggested, by the adventurous
tales Lawrence told and by the stories
related by the two neighboring Fair
fax boys" who had served in the Brit
ish Navy.
George was a frequent visitor to the
Fairfax home and in later years he
alluded to it as his second home"
During the four years he enjoyed
association with the Fairfax family
George did some surveying for Lord
Fairfax and assisted in surveying
Alexandria.
Meanwhile, however, the attractions
of Mount Vernon were asserting them
selves with the Washington family
Duhamel continued. The house at Epp-
wassen was burned in 174l and Law
renee, with whom George took up his
residence, constructed the central por-
tion of the present mansion, calling il
Mount Vernon. Lawrence died in 1852
and under the terms of his will the es-
tate went to an infant daughter. That
daughter, however, died and, under the
same will, the estate then became the
property of George Washington.
Inherited Mount Vernon.
George lived at Mount Vernon for
four years before he became of age and
inherited the estate, however, and these
years, Mr. Duhamel related, were busy
for George The future President was
made surveyor for Culpeper County, and
this task occupied much of the time
during his youthful years
During the business session of the
sCcietys meeting last night the Mem
bership Committee was announced. It
follows: Mrs Roscoe L. Oatley, chair
man; Rudolph Bishop, Fred A. Emery
Albert N. Scott, Henry W. Samson and
Henry j. Hallam.
In the same session the society voted
to membership Warner M. Eaton. Mrs.
Amy H. Hoover, Charles Kern, Walter
ElWood Allen, John P Gwynne, Charles
N. Lehman and Mabel Cooke-Rams-
burg.
Entertainment was presented at the
close of the business session by a group
from the Jobs Daughters GIee Club,
presented by Mrs. Hoover, the new
member.