Evening star., 1951-04-16

;riod. Star Staff Photos.
experiences. The result is that no
one has any idea of what they
should get for their land. and, as
one said. everybody is trying to
buy land. Along the road one en-
counters an occasional sign in un-
Skilled lettering that indicate some
farmers are doing their own sub
dividing. One said: Sixteen acres,
$3.50 an acre and up." It was not
river-view property.
The excellent Maryland guide
book produced by the WPA writ
ers' project says that 81 miles
from the District line, on the right
side of the road, is Motley Hall,
the home Of Thomas Motley, Gov
ernor of Maryland from 1876 to
1879. Charles, third Lord Balti-
more, later occupied the house for
"a brief period"
Despite the specific directions,
this reporter passed the entrance
twice and asked boys along the
road about it. before he realized
that the entrance to the historic
estate was a sand road blocked
by an ordinary wire-fence gate
with small sign which said only:
I"PriV9tn keen ont
Waiting for Restoration.
1t meant it too. for the gate was
padlocked.
1t was a simple matter to park
the car and walk around the gate.
There was no fence. The sand
road went through a patch of
scrub pine past abandoned saw
mill machinery and finally a cub
icle brick building. without porch,
and without steps, came into view
Here was an antique of an
t1ques- home of Colonial
governor, the walls in excellent
shape, awaiting a gentleman of
wealth to restore it and take res
ldence, a gentleman who would
welcome the genealogical ladies
and college majors in American
history when they came knocking
at his door, who would annually
entertain the descendants of
danes of the Maryland manors,
and fix up the place for the gar
den club tour.
A thicket of tall tulip poplars
has cut off the view of the Poto-
mac. but that easily could be
fixed. The industrial goth GEN.
tury appearance of the Alexandria
water front opposite. unfortunate
ly, is unalterable. The place needs
door steps, but the stones of the
original outside staircase have
been carefully piled behind the
house. A peek through the win
dows discloses something puzzling
"a Christmas tree that no one
ever bothered to remove.
Nets Out for Herring.
All along the river roads Sat-
urday men were getting out of
cars with huge nets, usually made
OF chicken wire, for the Potomac
is full Of herring. The shad will
be along a little later. Many of
the fishermen were parking their
cars at st. Johns Church at Broad
Run. The herring come UP the
little fresh water creeks and runs
to spawn and that is where they
are most easily netted. The sign
at St. Johns Church is addressed
to the modern mind which wants
its faith buttressed with history.
It reads:
"Creditable wisdom and honest
tradition record that Washington
attended services here on numer-
Gus occasions"
It's not hard to believe. There
must have been many SUNDAYS
when it was more pleasant to be
rowed across the river than to
try to make Pohick Church. or
Christ Church in Alexandria on
the roads of that day.
The other historic house en- route
is Harmony Hall, owned and oc-
cupied by Charles w. Collins. a
ruddy genial gentleman from Ala
bama who was counsel for the
Bureau of the Budget when the
director was Brig. Gen. Charles
Gates Dawes. It was originally
called Battersea but in 1892 two
of the descendants of John Addison
OF Oxon Hill Manor brought their
brides to live there. They were
back from England, where they
had spent the Revolution, because
most OF the gentry Of Southern
Maryland were for the King in
1776. (They were for the South
in 1862
Got Along Together.
The two Addisons rented Bat
tersea from a Magruder (Mac-
Gregor) while awaiting the State
OF Maryland to return their in
herited properties. The two young
husbands and their wives got along
together so well that when they
left. one Of the young women
said:
1T ought to be called Harmony
Hall"
This story came from Mr.. Col
Inns who also has served as Librar-
ian of the Supreme Court.
$50, you see." he says, while
it was patented as Battersea, and
carried as that for years in all
deeds and transfers, legal papers
for years have referred to it as
Harmony Hall. Even in the law
sentiment is stronger than docu-
ment."