Evening star., 1934-05-13

was totally different
Mount Vernon from the
one we know today-the one the
first President left to posterity.
Three years of research by Prof.
Morley j. Williams have uncovered
the numerous changes made in the
beautiful Potomac River estate during
WaShingtons lifetime. Little was
known of the actual improvements
made from 1852 until Washington
death, although there are numerous
letters and other documents in ex-
istence, until the Harvard educator
undertook his work
No one could figure out, from the
documents and letters, just what
walls" and drives" the Father of
His Country referred to when he
wrote to his superintendents concern
ing his home during the time he was
leading the rebel" troops of the
Colonies against England, and later.
when he sat in the Executive chair
for the newborn Nation.
Sees Value for Students.
Prof. Williams, acting head of the
school of landscape architecture at
Harvard wasn't particularly inter-
ested in Mount Vernon in 1880. He
had an idea, though.
His idea was that America could
produce something distinctive in
architectural design-and had pro-
duced 1t. He believed the colonial
estates in Maryland and Virginia
would provide valuable material for
students of landscape architecture to
supplement the knowledge gained by
travels and studies abroad
That Summer, when school was
out, he came South. Mount Vernon,
of course, is outstanding among those
estates he sought to study. so he went
to it first. He became interested in
George Washington's estate, and after
three years hopes" to be able to
write book on its development from
the landscape architecture standpoint
in another year or so.
Working with the cooperation of
the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association
and the aid of c. c. Wall assistant
superintendent, Williams first sur
veyed the land surrounding the house
and buildings. Then he set to work
learning what he could about long
demolished structures, drives. walks,
walls, hedges, and other elements that
go to make UP a well Handicapped
home.
Makes Comprehensive Report.
His first comprehensive report was
given the Ladies' Association last
night at Mount Vernon, with the aid
of a set of lantern slides which he
has made up and collected during his
work.
Prof Williams found that the house
at Mount Vernon was but story and
a half high in 1852, and that it ex-
tended about half its present length.
Those familiar with the house know
of the two large chimneys toward
either end of the structure The
length of the house, when Washing
ton moved in, was the distance be-
tween the chimneys
About 1860, according to Williams,
the roof was raised to its present
height, and the work of adding the
banquet hall "a" at the upstream"
end and the library "B" at the down
stream" end of the building begun.
At the same time, two small wings,
designated in the map as &C and
ID" were removed, and the two
wings shown as "E" and "F'' begun.
These wings, all four of them, were
used as kitchens, Morley believes, the
one known as "E" being used for
state occasions, when guests were be-
ing entertained, and the banquet hall
was being used.
The oval driveway in rear of the
house is today much like it was in
Washington's time, Williams says.
Foundation Walls Intact.
The foundation walls of the old
buildings &C" and ID" still are in
the ground at Mount Vernon. They
were located by the research worker
from correspondence and other docu-
ments, and by using an iron rod, with
which he probed around in the earth
without disturbing the sod
For a long time the why" of the
curving walls around the gardens
along the sides of the bowling green
to the landward side of the house
puzzled Williams, as did numerous
references to another wall in docu-
ments he had at hand. In his survey
the professor found a slight, almost
imperceptible, "swale" in the bowling
green about midway between the
house and the present driveway about
100 yards to the landward.
There must be some reason for this,
he thought, and out came the iron
rod "prober" again. Working patiently
with the rod, williams came upon
certain places where it would go into
the ground but a few inches. These