The Washington times., 1935-06-22
NOW
The Charms of
Old Houses
COLONIAL TALE
By HELEN ESSARY

wv ~ ~ n V "a 49, - -
By HELEN ESSARY
Old houses, mellowed with
experience and shining in pres
emit appreciation, are always in
teresting. Ever so often I shall
tell in this column the story OF
some famous nearby mansion
that grew up with the Repub-
lie.
Before I began to write about
Colonial houses, I considered
many of the tales about George
Washington as agreeable fic.
ton. That George Washington
could have written as many
letters, danced at as many
balls, slept in as many houses,
and commanded as many
battles as ccormal and informal
history credits him with was
impossible for me to believe.
Now that I have earnestly
read historic documents provid-
ed by an obliging Congressional
Library, I begin to realize the
amazing scope of the activities
of the First President. In the
story Of most events men.
toned, either prominently or
modestly. in the history of the
Colonial and early republican
days, is some authentic remi-
niscence Of General Washing
ton.
In the history of Woodlawn,
considered today, Washington
was the dominating personality.
Woodlawn was the home of
Nelly Gusts, adopted child of
General Washington and grand
daughter of Mrs. Washington.
Her mother was Eleanor Cal
vert, daughter of Benedict
Calvert, Lord Baltimore, and
wife Of John Parke Gusts.
In modern history, Woodlawn
IS distinguished as being the
present home of Mrs. Oscar I'm
derwood, widow of former Sen
ator, Underwood, of Alabama.
The Assistant Secretary of War
and Mrs. Harry Woodring are
occupying it for the summer.
The story of Woodlawn be-
gins with the letter George
Washington wrote to his IA
vorite nephew, Col. Lawrence
Lewis, one-time distinguished
soldier in the Revolutionary
War and then prospective hus-
band Of Nelly Gusts. Washing.
ton said he was giving to Nelly
and his nephew 1000 acres from
the Mt. Vernon tract.
"Gray's Heights is bequeathed
to you and her Jointly. If you
incline to build on it-and few
better sites for a house than
Gray's Hill and that range are
to be found in this county or
elsewhere-yOu may commence
building as soon as you please.
During the progress of which
Mt. Vernon may be your home"
Few people pass along the
RichmondW Washington Road -
the fine macadam road which
was once the rutty old Kings
Highway-without envying the
poSsessorS of the fine, peaceful
mansion on the crest of Gray's
Hill It isn't only that the house
is so handsome in itself, or that
the location is perfect. It is be-
cause the place has the atmos-
phere Of fine simplicity and
hositality. Such qualities, one
instinctly covets.
Perhaps Mrs. Underwood, it's
present owner, expressed best
the essence of Woodlawn:
"As soon as 1 saw the old
place I knew simply had to
have it. When 1 drove along
the road the house stood up
and shook hands with me-"
Like most of the best houses
Of the day, Woodlawn has two
fronts, one facing east and one
west, SO that every ray of the
morning and afternoon SUM-
light may be caught. It is a
low dwelling of the usual story
and a half of it's period, with
dormer windows. The main
structure is 60 by 40 feet in di-
mansions. To this the wings are
attached in beautifully bal
lanced uniformity.
In both drawing room and the
original dining room are man.
tells of carved Italian marble.
These, like one of the mantels
of Mount Vernon, were the gifts
of a Mr.. Vaughn.
On the second floor are many
bedrooms. Great, square ones
fit for such important guests as
General Lafayette. Small, dor.
mered ones ready for less ia
NOUS visitors.
The plans for the mansion
were a wedding gift to Nelly
Gusts from DR.. William H.
Thornton, architect of the Capt.
toll.
But Nelly never liked Wood
lawn. Nor Colonel Lewis, par
ticularly. She had really wanted
Mount Vernon. And probably
another husband.
When Colonel Lewis got in