Some time in 1873 the old kitchen chimney, which had withstood the ravages of the elements for a century and a half, finally collapsed and fell to the ground. It had stood above ground longer than any other part of Augustine Washington’s plantation buildings which he had built in the 1720’s on Popes Creek.
Ruins of the old kitchen chimney at Wakefield. From a sketch made by Charles C. Perkins in 1879.
The Saving of Washington’s Birthplace
The saving of Washington’s Birthplace was the work of many individuals and organizations, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Wakefield National Memorial Association, and the United States Government.
In 1859 John E. Wilson, owner of most of the Popes Creek-Bridges Creek land, deeded to the Commonwealth of Virginia a right-of-way through his farm to the birthsite and the Washington family burying ground, together with one-half acre of land near the latter place and about 1 acre near the birthsite.
In 1882 the Commonwealth of Virginia vested title in the United States of America to its holdings at the birthsite and burying ground. By an act of Congress approved in 1879, and amended in 1881, the construction of a monument to mark the birthsite and the acquisition of the necessary ground and right-of-way had been authorized. In 1883 Mr. and Mrs. John. E. Wilson sold to the United States nearly 12 acres of land surrounding the birthsite and 9.85 acres constituting a right-of-way 50 feet wide and 1.6 miles long, connecting the birthsite, the family burying ground, and the Potomac River near the mouth of Bridges Creek.
Although Congress had authorized the construction of a monument to mark the birthsite in 1881, 15 years passed before the shaft of Vermont granite was erected. It was a time in our Nation’s history when historical conservation was crowded into the background in favor of more materialistic aims.
In the 1920’s a group of public-spirited women became interested in the old Washington family plantation. They wanted more than a granite monument to memorialize the site where our first President was born, and dreamed of a restored tidewater plantation. On February 23, 1923, under the able leadership of Mrs. Josephine Wheelright Rust, they organized the Wakefield National Memorial Association. Their main objective was to restore the Wakefield plantation and make it a shrine for all people, the date set for completion of the task was 1932—the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth.
Shortly after the Wakefield National Memorial Association was incorporated in 1924, its members raised funds for acquiring land between the birthsite and the Washington family burying ground, and induced John D. Rockefeller, Jr., to purchase 273 acres of the old Wakefield plantation and transfer it to the United States Government. By an act of Congress, approved June 7, 1926, the association was given authority to construct a house at Wakefield as nearly as possible like the one built by Augustine Washington. In 1929 the association acquired additional land, and 2 years later donated its holding at Wakefield (about 100 acres) to the United States.