WAKEFIELD, THE BIRTHPLACE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON
After more than a century and a half of neglect, a group of patriotic persons have within recent years taken steps to restore Wakefield, the birthplace of George Washington, situated about 50 miles south of Mount Vernon, along the Potomac, amidst beautiful landscapes between Popes Creek and Bridges Creek. The Government erected a monument at the site in 1895 to mark the birthplace and provided a watchman to care for the grounds. Until within the past few years the little Government reservation of 11 acres, acquired in 1882, was inaccessible because the Government dock was washed away and the road leading into Wakefield from the main highway was almost impassable. The State of Virginia recently completed a sand and gravel road to the place. The new road, about 2 miles in length, intersects the George Washington Highway from Fredericksburg, between Oak Grove and Potomac Mills. The Wakefield National Memorial Association (Inc.) has been organized to purchase the lands at Wakefield and thus save them from threatened encroachments of hunting and fishing clubs, which are now securing valuable sites along the Potomac River. Thus the association is doing for Wakefield what the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union accomplished for the preservation of Mount Vernon.
WAKEFIELD, AT POPES CREEK, WESTMORELAND COUNTY, VA.
Congress early in 1930 appropriated $50,000 toward erecting a colonial house, typical of the Virginia houses at the time of George Washington. Bricks for the house were made from the clay at Wakefield. The construction work was carried out under the supervision of the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior, which has jurisdiction over the maintenance of Wakefield since the project of restoration was completed. John D. Rockefeller, jr., gave $115,000 for the purchase of 267 acres, and the association purchased approximately 100 additional acres. The association raised about $200,000.
MAP SHOWING WASHINGTON AND WAKEFIELD
WAKEFIELD—WASHINGTON FAMILY BURYING GROUND
The money, aside from the amounts spent to buy land, was expended in erecting a house that is as nearly a replica of the original birth house as could be planned on the basis of available data, in restoring the gardens, and in protecting the ancient graveyard where lie the remains of 31 members of the Washington family, including his great-grandfather, grandfather, father, and brother, and to build a resthouse at the site. The original house was built between 1717 and 1720, and was burned Christmas, 1780. From pieces of china found in the ruins the celebrated Lenox china, showing the Washington coat of arms, has been reproduced and made available to the public by the Wakefield National Memorial Association. In the work of restoration the association was led by its president, the late Mrs. Harry Lee Rust, of Washington, D. C., who was a native of Westmoreland County, Va., and spent her childhood days in the vicinity of the Washington estate. She was a most indefatigable worker toward the realization of this project.
Wakefield was dedicated on February 11, 1932, the birthday of George Washington (old style), which month marked the beginning of the George Washington bicentennial celebration. Wakefield is known to-day as the George Washington Birthplace National Monument.
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL AND APPROACHES
THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL