Evening star., 1935-05-11
PUBLIC WILL SEE
FAIRFAX HOUSE
Alexandria Tour Will Include
Beautiful Home Built
in 1852.
BY HELEN FETTER COOK.

II Is Optu liUuSC cCuoOA IVA
Washington, Georgetown and Alex
andria. No sooner is one group OF
houses and their quaint gardens closed
after a day or two for 'pilgrimages,"
given in the name Of charity, but
another group equally enticing open
their doors to lovers Of houses and
old furnishings.
Two weeks ago Virginia's gardens,
more than 100 in number. swung wide
their gates in hospitality. Today. all
day, q group Of distinctive and mostly
historic homes of Alexandria are
welcoming streams of visitors. Three
weeks from today an entirely different
group of houses will be open.
The garden tour was for the benefit
of restoring gardens at Wilton in
Richmond; the tour concluded this
afternoon was to swell the funds of
the Rector's Aid of ST Pauls Episco-
pal Church in Alexandria; while the
tour three weeks from today Is to
increase the funds of the Alexandria
Association, which is devoted to the
preservation of Alexandria's historic
buildings, records and antiquities; the
promotion of parks and the beautifi-
cation of the river front.
A leader in the Alexandria Associ-
alton is Mrs Charles Beatty Moore.
who is widely known in Alexandria,
and is a descendant of the Montague
family of Virginia. The home OF
Col. and Mrs. Moore will be among
those opened June l. when 20 OF the
lovely homes not opened previously
will be shown.
The Moore house is famous through
out the land to all who are interested
in American architecture, as the
Fairfax House 1t is a tall two
chimneyed house with small dormer
windows on the fourth floor. 1t is
located on old Prince street. next door
to the old Free Methodist Church.
Built in 1752.
The Fairfax House was built in 1852
on land bought in 1749, at the first
auction of lots in Alexandria. by Will
liam Fairfax of Belvoir. This Fairfax
was father in law of John Carlyle and
Lawrence Washington. and agent OF
Thomas sixth Lord Fairfax, in Vir-
ginia; members of the Virginia House
of Burgesses, member of the Kings
Council and trustee and cofounder OF
the city of Alexandria. He decided the
house to his son, George William, IN
March. 1853, but the son, who married
Sally Cary of Williamsburg. went back
to England in ITO or It'll. He sold the
house to Robert Adams, who was first
grand master of the Masonic Lodge OF
Alexandria, of which he was founder.
There have been 10 owners Of Fair
fax House, Col. Moore of the United
States Army having been the most
recent purchaser He bought the house
in 1929, when it was in a rundown
condition. However, the particularly
beautiful six-paneled front door was
intact and also the graceful iron rail-
ing to the front steps. The Moores
found it necessary to raise the walls
Of the back part of the house 2 feet,
and they completely renovated the old
smoke house and the kitchen, which
had an enormous fireplace.
One of the most fascinating things
about the Fairfax House are the turns
in the stairs which bring glimpses of
delightful rooms on varying floor
levels. Downstairs the front hall, with
its lovely Adams archway, the dig
nified drawing room with an ancestral
portrait above the marble mantelpiece,
and the music room, where another
fireplace and the large piano dominate,
are all on one level. However, to go
back to the quaint paneled dining
room, one dips into slightly lower
lever and a room where long windows
open on typically Southern porch.
Beautiful Library.
The best room in Fairfax House is
on level halfway between the first
and second floors, reaching a generous
depth into the back part of the house.
This is the library. Mrs Moore
showed touch of genius in her series
of arched book shelves fitted into the
long wall beyond the fireplace Of the
library and balancing nicely the gener-
Gus windows on the other side of
this cheerful room. Fresh fowered
chintzes on comfortable chairs of the
wing and other easy-chair types add
to the really story-book enchantment
Of this room.
Mrs. Moore has shown good taste,
too, in the furnishings of other rooms
as well as the library. Family heir
looms of priceless Heppelwhite fit
lIllO lllC SOlilcWIldG lOWCI~
ceilinged white-panelled dining room.
The slender charm of this furniture
is excellently adapted to emphasize
the lovely points of the room. On
the other hand. furniture of the Louis
periods and Sheraton's graceful de-
signs compliment the Adams mantle
piece in the drawing room and also
the music room, which Is connected to
the former by wide archway.
Bed Rooms Attractive.
The bed rooms, half a floor above,
all are consistent with their four
poster beds in some and empire beds
in others-with corresponding pieces
to contribute to attractive ensemble
effects that seem to have grown to-
gether into perfect harmony and not
been the result of mental processes
Of decorators.
Others besides Col. and Mrs. Moore,
who will be hosts at open house June
/, will include: Mr.. and Mrs. Henry
Carter, Maj. and Mrs. Marshburn,
Mr.. and Mrs. John Rowland, Miss
Blondel Malone, Mr.. G. B. Groarity,
the Herbert Littles (Mrs. Little being
generally known as Miss Ruby Black
Mrs. Garland Lambert, MIR. and Mrs.
Allison Goff, Mr.. and Mrs. Joseph I.
Weller, Mrs. w. L. Lttlefleld, Mrs.
Harrison Cruikshank, Mrs. Paul Tup-
per, Mr.. and Mrs. Ward Brown, Mr..
and Mrs. Nelson Poynter, DR.. e. F.
Warner, Col. and Mrs. Harry N.