Evening star., 1936-02-22
MANSIONS TENANT
Col. Harrison Howell Dodge, "a, Has Been
Shrines Superintendent 81 Years. Played
Big Role in Restoration.

who admonished visitors to the TONI
of Washington to uncover, you are
in the presence of the father of your
country" and who was unafraid tc
give his dignified order even to the
most distinguished of native or for
eign guests.
You meet Col. Dodge at his Office
in small structure a few yards from
the mansion itself. The building
housed Washington's own Offices, ano
you learn that it has been restored
exactly as it was in the great mans
day. even to the red stone floor
Above this Office are the superintend-
ent's sleeping quarters, which he uses
several nights each week. He also
has home in Washington, D. c..
Behind a desk of early American
design Col Dodge carries on the de-
tailed work of administering this, the
most compelling of all national
shrines. But he doesn't stay behind
that desk any longer than necessary
Despite his years. he continues his
half-century practice of personally
supervising the actual work on the
grounds.
A ND there always is an amazing
amount of such work to be done.
Washington himself testified to that
and his account books reveal that nc
detail was too small to escape his
! notice.
After so years at Mount Vernon,
Col. Dodge in truth is literally sat-
urated with the spirit of Washington
and the estate For half a century
his every waking hour has been de-
voted to Wasfingtoniana He has had
an experience unparalleled. that Of
| retracing the minutiae of Washing
tons days at Mount Vernon. Only
while Washington always regretted
that his days there were so few, due
to the war and his presidential duties.
Col Dodge has had more than sc
long. fruitful, happy years of it.
Many visitors to Mount Vernon
learn with surprise that the estate is
| not owned by the Federal Govern
ment nor by the State of Virginia
! j. is. instead, the property OF the
Mount Vernon Ladies Association
which was formed in the middle OF
| the nineteenth century for the specific
| purpose of rescuing Mount Vernon
from the evil days upon which it had
! fallen.
It was purchased by the association
| from John A. Washington. jr, when
he failed to interest either the Federal
Government or Virginia in taking over
the estate. Mansion and grounds were
! in poor order because of the famlly's
financial situation, and most OF the
original furnishings had been scattered
to the four corners of the earth.
Slowly. gradually, the Mount Ver-
non Ladies' Association brought the
estate back 10 the glories of the great
DAYS. Most of this work was accom-
plished during the long period of Col
Dodge's superintendency.
In view of the earlier complete
apathy of the Federal Government
and the State of Virginia. and the
many years of effort expended by the
| ladies, it is perhaps little wonder that
the association has not listened with
sympathy to demands that it sur
render the management of the estata
| to the authority of the National
Capital. Many persons feel. however.
and with some definite logic, that It
now should become shrine under
Federal jurisdiction and that the en-
trance fee of rs cents should be
eliminated.
The latter item, incidentally. has
been a bone Of contention for years,
The Mount Vernon Ladies' Associa-
ton holds that all visitors are-or
should be-happy to pay small fee,
which is used for the upkeep Of the
estate Many visitors. on the other
hand. consider that Americans should
not be required to pay to do homage
to the father of their country.
HOWEVER that may be. none can
gainsay that the Mount Vernon
Ladies' Association has rendered
patriotic service of the first magnitude
in saving the shrine from decay and
| in re-establiShing 1t so remarkably,
physically and spiritually.
After a lifetime spent on the estate.
Col. Dodge still finds undimmed its
fascination. its glamour, its beauty
and its rare qualities as a mirror Of
the man who so loved its every acre
| and vista.
Wherever one turns here there are
points of intense interest-the west
front. with its original brass knocker;
| (Contin6ed on second Page.)