The Washington times., 1933-07-29
SPOT
IS MARKED BY
OLD HOMES
CONTINUED fr~z1 Page 1O)

home, was built III 1880 by Au-
gustine Washington, father of
George. George was born there
February %, 1882, and the origl-
nal house was destroyed by fire
on Christmas Day, 1880, while
George Washington was COM
manding the Colonial armies in
the Revolutionary War.
The site Of the old home was
marked with an inscribed stone
by George Washington Parke
Gusts, grandson of Martha Wash
/ 1ngton, whom the General
adopted as his own. From 1882
70 1928 the place remained much
the same, except that souvenir
hunters practically stole the
whole stone marker.
In 1928 Congress authorized
the Wakefield National Memorial
Association to restore the house
and grounds and appropriated
$50,000 to aid in the work. No
picture or authentic description
Of the original house could be
found and excavating disclosed
foundations for a house much
larger than was suppo> I'd to have
occupied the site.
Handmade Bricks
The result Is now that a house
has been built over the old foun-
dations that is classic example
Of the architecture of that time.
The bricks used in this house were
made by hand and BURIED right
on the premises. The restored
mansion and approximately 400
acres Of land are now run as
George Washington Birthplace
National Monument and are under
direction of the National Parks
Service Of the Department of In
terror.
King George county is to the
north Of Westmoreland and is on
the route of the tourist from
Wakefield, Stratford and Colonial
Beach to Fredericksburg. The
county is noted for its old home
steads and mansions and James
Madison, fifth president, was born
at Port Conway on the Kappa
hammock River. At Port Conway,
too, Booth crossed the Rappahan-
mock en- route to the West. He
died in a barn when he refused
to surrender to Federal cavalry.
Dates From 1871
Virginia's route 81 is the princi-
pal road through the 100-mile long
Northern Neck. This trip leads
to Fredericksburg, one Of the old
est towns in the United States.
It's legal birthday is recorded as
1871 when the town was recog-
nized by the "Grande Assemble at
James Cittie."
Tradition has it that in 1871,
the first Christian shrine in
America was erected at Fredericks-
burg by the Spanish padres. It is
a matter of record that Capt.
John Smith visited the spot in
1908, a year after the founding Of
Jamestown.
Until 1927, it was known as
Ieaseland and was a thriving
ocean port. Falmouth, across the
Rappahannock River, also was a
big trading and shipping center,
but it declined in later years and
now little remains Of its once
great activities.
One of Americas first million
aires was a Falmouth merchant.
Basil Gordon prospered with his
community, his ships sailed the
Seven Seas. and he became one of
the richest ZEN in the colonies.
National Shrines
Fredericksburg is a city of ma
tional shrines. There is Ken
more, home of Col. Fielding
Lewis, maker of guns used in the
Revolution, and his wife, Betty,
only sister of George Washing
ton; the Mary Washington House,
where Washington's mother lived
from ITS to 1889; the Hugh
Mercer Apothecary Shop, where
DR.. Hugh Mercer, hero of Cullo-
den, practised medicine and sold
drugs, and where Washington
kept his desk for a number of
years and transacted the busi-
ness of his plantation on the
Rappahannock.
Also to be seen is the Rising
Sun Tavern, gathering place of
patriotic gentlemen who drew up
q resolution tantamount to a
declaration of independence; the
Sentry Box, DR.. Hugh Mercer's
home, used through three sue
cessive wars as watch tower;
the home of John Paul Jones,
father of the American Navy;
the Masonic Lodge, where Wash
naseton was initiated, passed and
raised as a master Mason, and
st. Georges Church, beneath
which is buried Col. Fielding
Lewis.
All Well Marked
The city of Fredericksburg con-
tinued its life in an unruffled
manner until the outbreak Of the
civil war.
Then it found itself between
the stones of a gigantic and cruel
mill. Halfway between Richmond
and Washington, it became
strategic point of operations for
both armies and changed hands
many times and was bombarded
by the Federal artillery.
Practically everything of his
toric interest is we'll marked and
easily found. The place mas a
number of good hotels and eating
places.