The Washington times., 1934-12-01
(Continued from Page y

a half.forgotten past if the assist
ance of a tradition-inclined pres.
ent is sufficiently substantial.
Robert Jelly's Tavern, so popu-
lar in 1888 with the Lords of
nearby manors that they neglected
their duties at the State House
! across Middle Street, may have a
second "borning" as a genteel
museum.
Restoring Saint Mary's City
would be a less expensive under
taking than restoring Williams
burg. Saint Mary's could be
brought to life-a delightful and
authentic reminder of colonization
in the New World-for about
$1,0O0,000.
Williamsburg Job Done
Recently-and this point is i'm
Williamsburg, on which
Mr.. Rockefeller spent a great for
tune, had been completely and
successfully restored. The entire
nation is delighted with the gen.
erosity and imagination of Mr.
Rockefeller. Such thrilling
achievement has influenced him
to reconsider the restoration OF
Saint Mary's.
People who know most about
the future of the town are not
confessing what he is planning,
but they are optimistic. They
smilingly say that the removal OF
two great, hideous oil tanks OF
Mr.. Rockefeller's from the center
of town is one of the pleasant
indications of his wish to i'm
prove Saint Mary's.
And, to be prepared when the
great moment comes, the anti
ouarians, the descendants OF the
Calverts and their colonists, are
picturing how the town will look
when it comes to life, and what
there is left of the old pace
to inspire and inform the re-
builders.
Natural Beauty UnSpOlled
In the first place. the natural
beauty of st. Mary's City has been
undefeated by time. The waters S
of the bay and river creep about
the feet of big old trees and gray
ely shores in the beguiling way
they did 800 years ago. Above
the bluff which rises abruptly
from the waters edge are mead
ows and woods, and few houses
not very old houses. but pleasant
and inviting ones with nice gar
dens and pillared porches.
Particularly welcoming is the
house belonging to Mr.. and Mrs.
J, Spence Howard and Mr.. and
Mrs. Richard Bennett. descend
ants-all of them-of the Lords
Baltimore, founders of the Mary
land palatinate. They own l28
acres along the shore-practlcally
all of the original St. Mary's City
The site for the State House they
decided to Maryland as gift.
Mill To Be Restored
Adjacent to the State House,
across a green turf. are Trinity
Protestant Episcopal Church and
St. Mary's Female Academy
Trinity was built with the bricks
from the original State House.
The ivy covering its walls and
steeple grew from sprig brought
from Kenilworth Castle in Eng
land. Although the church and
the Seminary represent a recent
period in the history of st. Mary'S.
they undoubtedly will remain in
the re-created town.
At present, regardless OF the
arraneem of Mr.. Rockefeller,
plans are being made to restore
the Town Water Mill.
This mill was a private enter
prise of Thomas Cornwaleys, first
citizen of old Saint Mary'S. Soon
it will be churning the waters of
the pond. fed by the same springs
the Yeocomico Indians used be-
fore they gave their village to
Leonard Calvert. Cornwaleys'
mill represented the first CONNER.
cial enterprise of the Maryland
Colony Except for a mill begun a
year sooner in Massachusetts,, it
was the first mill in the New
World. In spite of its age, its two
big millstoneS are now strong
enough to grind corn or any other
meal.
Council Chamber Historic
The first buildings in Saint
Mary's to be restored probably will
be those which were most impor-
tant in the settling of the Mary.
land Palatinate-as the province
given the Calverts by Charles the
r.