Part 3

Brass candlesticks, candlesnuffers, and brasshandled fireplace tools excavated revealed that the Washingtons imported fine metalware from the mother country.

Pottery and porcelain.

Countless fragments of colorful earthenware and stoneware pottery were found, together with a fine assortment of oriental porcelain. Much of the pottery (including slip-decorated earthenware, Delftware, white salt-glazed stoneware, "Whieldon" ware, hand-decorated Staffordshire, and creamware) was made in England; some was imported from Holland (tin-glazed Delftware) and Germany (stoneware), whereas most of the porcelain came from China.

All pieces of furniture acquired by the association for the memorial house are of the early 18th-century English styles, having been made between 1700 and 1750. Only one item in the house, a tilt-top tea table, is said to have been in the original home. The last owner of the house, William Augustine Washington (George's eldest nephew), saved it at the time of the fire in 1779.

The Wakefield National Memorial Association has also acquired appropriate cooking utensils of the early 18th-century period for the colonial-style kitchen. Once again, excavated artifacts--including pot-hooks, kettle fragments, skewers, ladles, and numerous other cooking accessories--were used as guides in locating suitable kitchen equipage.

Since 1932 over a million people from all parts of the world have visited Wakefield and enjoyed its natural beauties and historical associations. The serenity of the restored plantation with its cultivated fields and oldtime flower garden, its fragrant boxwood and sweet-scented herbs, and the lovely water views afforded by Popes Creek and the Potomac River, make unforgettable impressions. The memorial house furnished with beautiful and appropriate pieces from a bygone day, the early 18th-century style kitchen with its huge fireplace and ancient cooking equipment, and the family burying ground at Bridges Creek, almost 300 years old, are integral parts of the scene. In addition to these glimpses of colonial life are the well-kept grounds, the carefully tended flower beds, and the grove of native cedar trees which stand like venerable sentinels on Burnt House Point.

Such enchanting scenes which impress the senses and mind are taken for granted today, as few pilgrims realize that not so many years ago the birthplace of our Nation's First Citizen was all but forgotten. Without the dedicated labor of many people and organizations there would be no Wakefield plantation today, and to these individuals our Nation will forever owe a debt of gratitude.

But the restored plantation is more than a monument to the people who saved it. It is a memorial to the boy who played in the red brick house by the tidal creek, in the stables, barns, tobacco sheds, and other outbuildings; in the smokehouse and summer kitchen; in the spinning and weaving house and buttery; and near the forge where the blacksmith beat red-hot iron rods into tools and hardware and farm implements. The restored plantation is a shrine to the young boy with reddish-brown hair and blue eyes who romped through the green meadows and fields of corn, and watched the growing wheat, rye, and tobacco; the youth who picked luscious figs, climbed the gnarled apple trees, and played games in the cedar grove of that day.

Countless times he must have walked along the high banks of Popes Creek and the sandy shore of the Potomac River, and stalked game in the nearby forest. Wakefield is a monument to the growing boy who returned to the place of his birth when he was 11 years old and learned his first lessons in surveying. The impressions which the peaceful farm made on his mind were lasting ones, and as he grew from youth into manhood and assumed greater responsibilities, the happy memories of days spent on his father's plantation were never forgotten.

_Guide To The Area_

The information which follows, supplements that contained in the narrative of this handbook. It has been arranged to enable you to make your own tour of the area. The numbers given correspond to the numbers on the map of the national monument on pages 34-35.

1. Granite shaft.

This shaft, of Vermont granite, weighs about 50 tons. It is nearly one-tenth the size of the Washington Monument in the Nation's capital, and of the same relative proportions. First erected in 1896 by the War Department (at or near the foundations of the home in which George Washington was born), it was moved to its present location near the entrance to the national monument in 1930.

_Points of interest within the National Monument area:_ 1 GRANITE MONUMENT 2 SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE 3 MAIN PARKING AREA 4 POST OFFICE 5 SITE OF BUILDING "X" 6 MEMORIAL HOUSE 7 COLONIAL STYLE GARDEN 8 GROVE OF NATIVE "CEDARS" 9 KITCHEN & HISTORICAL MUSEUM 10 SITE OF SMOKE HOUSE 11 DUCK HALL PICNIC AREA. _(Parking)_ 12 SITE OF ANCIENT BUILDING FOUNDATION 13 WASHINGTON FAMILY BURIAL GROUND 14 POTOMAC RIVER VIEW

2. Superintendent's office.

Visitors seeking information are always welcome here.

3. Main parking area.

4. Post office, Washington's Birthplace, Va.

Souvenirs, postcards, potted plants, and soft drinks may be purchased in the post office building.

5. Site of Building "X."

So-called because its history is unknown, the brick foundations of Building "X" were discovered in 1930. They were partially unearthed that year, and completely excavated in 1936. The boxwood plants outline only one room of the building, known as Unit "A." The brick foundations of Building "X" were the most extensive ones unearthed at Wakefield. Including the projecting wings, the foundations were almost 70 feet long. The center of the building was approximately 19 feet wide. One wing was 22 feet wide, the other 32 feet wide. The possibility that it, rather than the smaller foundation on the memorial mansion site about 60 feet away, was the exact spot where George Washington was born cannot be ignored and will perhaps always remain an intriguing question.

6. Memorial house.

This was built in 1930-31. The furnishings are of the 1700-50 period. One item, a tilt-top table, is the only existing piece of furniture said to have been in the original house at Wakefield, having been saved at the time of the fire in 1779. Much of the pottery, porcelain, glassware, tableware, and metalware in the house are similar in period and style to many of the artifacts which were unearthed near the birthsite during archeological excavations.

7. Colonial-style garden.

South of the memorial house is a colonial-type garden enclosed by a handsplit picket fence. It is connected with the memorial house by a boxwood-lined brick walk. The English boxwood is well over a century old, and was transplanted from the home, 8 miles away, of Sarah Tayloe Washington (a daughter of the last occupant and owner of the home in which George Washington was born.) It is believed to have grown from cuttings originally taken from Wakefield. In this fragrant, old-fashioned garden, will be found many plants that were common to Virginia gardens during the period of George Washington's youth. Here are sweet-scented herbs such as sage, thyme, hyssop, wormwood, marjoram, rue, tansy, pennyroyal, basil, hoarhound, snakeroot, true lavender, caraway, and others used for cooking and medicinal purposes. Among the colorful flowers are old roses, hollyhocks, lilies, bleedinghearts, forget-me-nots, love-in-a-mist, narcissi, iris, and heliotrope.

8. Grove of eastern redcedars.

South of the colonial garden is a magnificent grove of eastern redcedars, _Juniperus virginiana_. The grove covers Burnt House Point, which juts out into Popes Creek.

9. The kitchen and historical museum.

The colonial-style kitchen building is located about 50 feet west of the memorial house. Its old chimney was the last above-ground brickwork of the original buildings at Wakefield owned by George Washington's father. Still standing in 1872, when it was sketched by a visiting artist, it finally collapsed and fell to the ground the following year. In 1930 the foundations of the old kitchen were uncovered, and subsequently a colonial-style building was constructed on the site. The east room in the building has been furnished with cooking utensils, kitchen accessories, fireplace equipment, and furniture of the 1700-50 period. The west room is used for the display of colonial artifacts which were unearthed at Bridges Creek and from various foundations found near the site of the original home on Popes Creek. The exhibits relate to the history of the Bridges Creek and Popes Creek plantations as well as to the activities of the early Washingtons who lived there.

10. Site of smokehouse.

The boxwood plants mark the site of an old building foundation believed to be that of an early 18th-century smokehouse. Excavated in 1936, the building had brick foundations as well as a brick floor. The foundations were located about 65 feet west of the kitchen building.

11. Duck Hall parking and picnic area.

This section of the national monument is located approximately three-quarters of a mile northeast of the granite shaft. It may be reached over a paved road which runs north from the granite shaft for about one-fourth of a mile, then turns eastward. From the Duck Hall picnic area may be seen magnificent views of Popes Creek and the Potomac River.

12. Site of 17th-century brick building.

In 1934 brick foundations of a small 17th-century building were unearthed about 180 feet southeast of the Washington family burying ground. One glass bottle seal found near the building site was inscribed with the name "John Washington." The structure was probably an outbuilding which belonged to George Washington's great-grandfather.

13. Washington family burying ground.

Established by John Washington, the founder of the Washington family in Virginia, the family burying ground is located about 1 mile north of the granite shaft. In his will, John, the great-grandfather of George, asked "to be buried on ye plantation wheire I now live, by the side of my wife yt is already buried." In the years that followed, members of succeeding generations of Washingtons found final resting place in the ancient cemetery. Here the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather of George Washington, together with 29 other early members of the family, are interred. In 1906 the Colonial Dames of Virginia made some improvements at the burying ground. In 1930, under the auspices of the Wakefield National Memorial Association, the burying ground was enclosed by a wall of handmade bricks. Five new tablestones were erected and the area was appropriately landscaped. A parking area is located about 300 feet east of the burying ground.

The tract of land surrounding the burying ground was purchased by John Washington in 1664 from David Anderson. The site of his home is in the vicinity of the burying ground.

14. Potomac River view.

About a quarter of a mile north of the Washington family burying ground is the south shore of the Potomac River. Here may be seen a delightful view of the river, approximately 5 miles wide at this point. President James Monroe, the fifth President, was born on a farm facing the deep bay on the extreme left.

_How To Reach the Monument_

George Washington Birthplace is 72 miles south of Washington, D. C., via the Potomac River Bridge. It may also be reached from Washington by way of Mount Vernon and Fredericksburg, a distance of 83 miles. The national monument is 69 miles northeast of Richmond, by way of Bowling Green and Port Royal, or 75 miles via U. S. 360, and State Routes 3 and 204. It is 100 miles from Williamsburg and 123 miles from Norfolk over good roads. Washington's Birthplace is on the Potomac River, and should not be confused with Wakefield, Va., which is in Sussex County, south of the James River.

_About Your Visit_

George Washington Birthplace National Monument is open from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m., Eastern Standard Time, every day of the year including Sundays and holidays, except Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission to the area is 25 cents for adults. Children under 12 are admitted free. Special interpretive talks are given to school classes and other organized groups if arrangements are made in advance with the superintendent.

Soft drinks, postcards, potted plants, herbs, and souvenirs may be purchased at the Washington's Birthplace Post Office, located at the main parking area.

_Related Areas_

There are several other areas in the eastern United States administered by the National Park Service which illustrate various aspects of George Washington's life and public career. These include: Fort Necessity National Battlefield Site, Pa.; Independence National Historical Park, Pa. (which includes the Deshler-Morris House in Germantown, where Washington lived for a short while in 1793 and again in 1794); Morristown National Historical Park, N. J.; Colonial National Historical Park (including Yorktown), Va.; and Federal Hall National Memorial, N. Y.

_Administration_

George Washington Birthplace National Monument, now containing about 400 acres, was authorized by an act of Congress on January 23, 1930. It is administered by the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior. Communications concerning the national monument should be addressed to the superintendent whose address is Washington's Birthplace, Westmoreland County, Va. Inquiries _should not_ be sent to Wakefield, Va.

_Suggested Readings_

Eaton, David W. _Historical Atlas of Westmoreland County, Virginia._ Dietz Press. Richmond, Va. 1942.

Eubank, H. Ragland. _Touring Historyland: The Authentic Guide Book of Historic Northern Neck of Virginia._ Northern Neck Association. Colonial Beach, Va. 1934.

Fitzpatrick, John C. _Writings of Washington._ 39 vols. Government Printing Office. Washington, D. C. 1931-44.

Ford, Worthington C. Editor. _The Writings of George Washington._ The Washington Family, Appendix to Vol. 14. G. P. Putnam's Sons. New York. 1893.

Freeman, Douglas Southall. _George Washington, A Biography._ Vol. I. Charles Scribner & Sons. New York. 1949.

Hoppin, Charles A. _The Washington Ancestry and Records of the McClain, Johnson, and Forty Other Colonial American Families._ Vol. I. Privately printed by Edward Lee McClain, Greenfield, Ohio, 1932.

Smith, H. Clifford. _Sulgrave Manor and the Washingtons._ Jonathan Cape. London. 1933.

U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1956 O--389002

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE HISTORICAL HANDBOOK SERIES

FOR SALE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON 25, D. C.

Bandelier (No. 23), 35 cents Chickamauga and Chattanooga Battlefields (No. 25), 25 cents Custer Battlefield (No. 1), 20 cents Custis-Lee Mansion (No. 6), 20 cents Fort Laramie (No. 20), 25 cents Fort McHenry (No. 5), 25 cents Fort Necessity (No. 19), 25 cents Fort Pulaski (No. 18), 25 cents Fort Raleigh (No. 16), 25 cents Fort Sumter (No. 12), 25 cents George Washington Birthplace (No. 26), 25 cents Gettysburg (No. 9), 25 cents Hopewell Village (No. 8), 25 cents Independence (No. 17), 25 cents Jamestown, Virginia (No. 2), 25 cents Kings Mountain (No. 22), 25 cents The Lincoln Museum and the House Where Lincoln Died (No. 3), 20 cents Manassas (Bull Run) (No. 15), 20 cents Morristown, A Military Capital of the Revolution (No. 7), 25 cents Ocmulgee (No. 24), 25 cents Petersburg Battlefields (No. 13), 30 cents Saratoga (No. 4), 20 cents Shiloh (No. 10), 25 cents Statue of Liberty (No. 11), 25 cents Vicksburg (No. 21), 25 cents Yorktown (No. 14), 25 cents

_Surveying_

_A Plan of Major Larw. Washington's Turnip Field as Survey'd by me This 27 Day of February 1747/. GW_

Transcriber's Notes

--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

--Corrected a few palpable typos.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.