Part 4

See also Moger, _Rebuilding_, p. 54, citing the fact that farmers in the area of diversified agriculture, such as Northern Virginia, had the highest number of agricultural clubs, farm newspaper subscriptions, etc., of all areas in Virginia.

[53] Main steps to assist agriculture taken by the state in the 1870's are summarized in Moger, _Rebuilding_, p. 54.

[54] Fairfax County Deed Book W-4, p. 271.

[55] J. S. Mosby, _Mosby's War Memoirs and Stuart's Cavalry Campaigns_ (New York: Pageant Book Co., 1958), p. 10. Mosby records in his memoirs that in Richmond, before being sent to the Shenandoah Valley, the men were issued uniforms of very rough quality from the state penitentiary. There was almost a mutiny as the men piled them up in front of the captain's tent and refused to wear them--all except Mosby and Beattie. Mosby then states, "I do not think any clothes I ever wore did me more service than these. When I became a commander, I made Beattie a lieutenant."

This story is corroborated in Charles W. Russell (ed.), _The Memoirs of Colonel John S. Mosby_ (Boston: Little Brown, 1917), p. 30.

[56] Beattie is mentioned frequently in histories of Mosby's campaigns. In addition to the references noted above, see V. C. Jones, _Ranger Mosby_ (Chapel Hill, 1944), and James Williamson (ed.), _Mosby's Rangers_ (New York: Sturgis & Walton, 1909).

From 1861 to July 1864, Beattie served as an enlisted man. In July 1864, a new company was organized, and Beattie was elected first lieutenant. Such regards as still exist regarding Beattie's service with Mosby relate to this period. See _Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from Virginia_. Microcopy 324, Roll 207 (National Archives, Washington, D.C.).

[57] Williamson, _Mosby's Rangers_, p. 87.

[58] _Ibid._, pp. 242-3. Reprints a letter from Thomas Moss to Captain Walter Frankland describing a fight near Front Royal as follows: "We charged and routed the guards, and I was fortunate in saving Beattie's life by shooting a man who had a pistol within 12 inches of Beattie. I then caught a horse ... [and] Beattie and I ran down the road a short distance and went up into a piece of pine woods."

[59] John Mosby Beattie, August 22, 1968, interview. Fountain Beattie's wife, Annie Elizabeth Hathaway, was the daughter of James Henry Hathaway of "Western View" in Zula, Virginia, between Rectortown and Middleburg in Fauquier County. Annie Hathaway was born and married at this home place. Her son, John Mosby Beattie, states that his father bought Green Spring Farm with money realized from the sale of "Western View" on the death of Mrs. Beattie's parents.

[60] Fairfax County Deed Book W-4, p. 271. Also see Hannah C. O'Brien v. John W. Green, Fairfax County Circuit Court, 1878, Suspended File No. 10.

[61] Moger, _Rebuilding_, p. 51.

[62] Virginia Good Roads Convention, _Programme_, p. 8.

[63] John Mosby Beattie, August 22, 1968, interview. John Beattie recalls that his father, Fountain Beattie, sold garden produce to the local grocery store of one John Carter, located on the Little River Turnpike (Route 236) approximately where it now crosses Shirley Highway (I-95).

[64] W. C. Funk, "An Economic History of Small Farms near Washington, D.C.", U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 848 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1920), pp. 16-17.

[65] John Mosby Beattie, August 22, 1968, interview. Mr. Beattie does not recall the date of this fire, but remembers the event vividly from his boyhood days.

[66] Mosby served as Consul in Hong Kong from 1878 to 1885. He was an attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice from 1904 to 1910.

[67] _Official Register of Officers and Employees of the Civil, Military and Navy Service_, issued biennially, lists Fountain Beattie as an employee of the Internal Revenue Service in the registers issued during the years 1875 to 1913, inclusive. Beattie's Service Record Card (Treasury Form 426) shows the first employment record date as 1872. His appointment was discontinued in 1914.

[68] E. L. Templeman, _Arlington Heritage_ (Arlington, 1959), p. 74.

[69] _Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington_, 1879.

[70] "Fairfax County as Portrayed by the Virginia Business Directory and Gazetteer--1906. Published by the Hill Directory Company, Richmond, Virginia," _Yearbook of the Historical Society of Fairfax County, Virginia_, v. 10 (1969), pp. 92-104.

III. THE END OF THE FARMING ERA: MICHAEL STRAIGHT (1942-1969)

Fountain Beattie sold Green Spring Farm in 1917. Annie Hathaway Beattie had died the year before, after they had moved from the farm to a house in Alexandria.[71] Beattie's deed to George R. Sims of Florida is dated January 23, 1917, and conveyed the entire tract of 339 acres.[72] Ownership changed again in 1922, 1924, and 1931,[73] and ultimately led to the subdivision of the tract into smaller parcels. In 1942, one of these parcels, containing the farmhouse and the principal related buildings, was purchased by Michael and Belinda Straight.[74]

The Straights did not occupy the main farmhouse immediately but set about having certain changes made in the interior design and structure. These were completed late in 1942, and the family moved from the cottage to the main house.[75] A few months later, in January 1943, their occupancy was interrupted as Michael Straight was called to service in the U.S. Army Air Force; and, during World War II, the house was occupied by tenants. The Straights returned to Northern Virginia in 1948 and took up residence at the farmhouse from that time until they moved to Georgetown in 1965.

Upon their return to the farm in 1948, they also began to restore and redesign the grounds surrounding the farmhouse. During the 1920's, when the farm was owned by Frederick Segesserman, a great many boxwoods had been planted. They had been raised for sale, and in 1948 the pattern of their location on the grounds was erratic. Therefore, in 1948, a new landscape plan was worked out by Mrs. Max Farrand, a friend of the Straights and the designer of the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown. Under her supervision, the boxwoods were transplanted into a great semicircle behind the house, the level of the lawn was raised, and retaining walls were placed at several points. This area comprised the farm's only formal garden; but, in addition, extensive plantings of white pine were placed as a screen between the house and the road, and the grounds surrounding the house were planted with a variety of trees and shrubs, including hemlocks, cherries, and crabapples, and later, lilacs, azaleas, and rhododendron.

During the years the Straights lived at the farm, farming operations consisted of the raising of Hereford cattle. Purchasing yearlings in the markets of the lower Shenandoah Valley near Winchester, they kept this stock at the farm for fattening and resale as two-year-old beef cattle.[76]

A variety of other animals were kept on the farm, but these were mainly pets of the children.[77] In addition to their horses and dogs, certain of the Straights' animals acquired reputations of extraordinary extent. In particular were a goat which was presented to the Straights by the author and journalist Eric Sevareid,[78] a mule acquired from the Alexandria SPCA, and a flock of Canada geese which eventually became the subject of a special bulletin by the Audubon Society to prevent local naturalists from erroneously reporting them as migrants.[79]

During these years of residence at Green Spring Farm, Michael Straight served as editor and publisher of _The New Republic_ magazine, wrote three books, and served on the governing boards of several organizations active in international affairs.[80] These activities brought to the farm many visitors whose accomplishments in politics, literature, science, and the arts were nationally and internationally recognized. Some of the distinguished visitors to Green Spring Farm during these years included scientists Julian Huxley and Leo Szilard, authors Aldous Huxley and Saul Bellow, poet Dylan Thomas, Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, and political leader Hubert Humphrey. The farm also was a visiting place for distinguished journalists from all parts of the United States and many foreign countries, including Soviet Russia, when they came to Washington. An account of one of these visits, written by one of the foreign journalists, is set forth in appendix G.[81]

The farm became well known in the community of which it was a part as it was the scene of numerous festive community gatherings when the neighbors from the immediate area joined the Straights and their guests to celebrate such special events and holidays as the Fourth of July and to enjoy dinner, games, and discussions under the trees.

With the departure of the Straights, active farming operations ceased. During their occupancy, fundamental changes in the character of Northern Virginia's development brought the era of farming to an end and ushered in an era in which this region became part of the social and economic system centered in Washington. Intensive subdivision and establishment of commercial service facilities became the highest and best uses of the land as population growth in the National Capital area rose at a rate which led other parts of the United States. Outsiders moving into Northern Virginia and Washington residents seeking to move from the central city into the outskirts filled up the open spaces of Fairfax County at a rate of over 1,000 new residents per month.[82]

Along with the temptation of high land prices, rising taxes added to the pressure on the farmer to "sell out" to the land developer. It was said, with much truth, that one could not afford to be a farmer in Fairfax County as the 1950's ended and the 1960's began. For the 33 acres and buildings on Green Spring Farm, as for many other residences, taxes rose sharply. In 1943, the farm was evaluated at $7,819, and the tax bill was $194.69; by 1960, the evaluation was $36,050, and the taxes $1,351.88.[83]

So, gradually, Green Spring Farm became an island of open space in a sea of houses and highways. The Little River Turnpike (Route 236) was widened and modernized in 1959. In 1948, this road had been an 18-foot-wide, two lane black-top roadway. Twenty years later, it had been transformed into a 106-foot-wide, four-lane dual highway, much of which was lined with concrete curbs and gutters to accommodate roadside commercial or residential development. The old turnpike had been redesigned and, in the late 1960's, carried over 26,000 vehicles per day.[84] Its function as a major interregional artery of transportation had been taken over by others, leaving to it a new role as a major connector in the network of roads and streets serving primarily local traffic. In contrast to earlier times when proximity to the road was to be desired, the attractiveness of the farmhouse in the 1960's was enhanced by its surrounding space which furnished a shield from the highway and a setting for its activity.

III. THE END OF THE FARMING ERA: MICHAEL STRAIGHT (1942-1969)

[71] John Mosby Beattie, March 1969 interview. Annie Beattie, afflicted with arthritis, died in 1916, after she and family had moved into Alexandria to a house on Peyton Street owned by her husband, Fountain Beattie, and Walton Moore.

[72] Fairfax County Deed Book C-8, p. 446.

[73] Fairfax County Deed Book Y-8, p. 50; J-9, p. 23; X-10, p. 413; V-11, p. 586; C-12, p. 509.

[74] Fairfax County Deed Book P-15, p. 145.

[75] Michael and Belinda Straight, interview December 8, 1968. During the remodeling, the Straights lived in the spring house, which they called "The Cottage."

[76] _Ibid._ Aberdeens were also brought to the farm, but did not thrive as well as Herefords. The Straights' herd ranged from 15 to 25 at any one time. Bought at weights of about 500 pounds, these cattle were held until they weighed 1,100 to 1,200 pounds and then were sold for beef.

[77] _Ibid._ The fondness of the Straight children for animals drew pets from field and pond, including rabbits, birds, snakes, spiders, and the like. These were housed mainly in the enclosed side porch.

[78] _Ibid._ The gift goat was the subject of one of Mr. Sevareid's columns entitled "It is More Blessed to Give Than to Receive." During his stay at Green Spring Farm, the goat established a reputation for eating various valuable articles (such as a canvas automobile top) and ringing a number of the fruit trees.

[79] _Ibid._ The flock of Canada geese started from a pair that was attracted to one of the farm ponds, which in earlier times had been used to furnish ice for the farm. As the flock of geese grew, it ceased to migrate, and frequented the Straights' pond and nearby Lake Barcroft.

[80] _Who's Who in America, 1966-1967_, contains the following information on Mr. Straight: In 1943, he wrote _Make This the Last War_; in 1954, _Trial by Television_; in 1960, _Carrington_; and in 1963, _A Very Small Remnant_. In 1943, he also served as Vice President of the Fight for Freedom; and in 1946-1947 as Secretary of the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists.

[81] Michael and Belinda Straight, interview December 8, 1968. This visit occurred when Mr. Straight was actively engaged in editing and publishing _The New Republic_ and had occasion, from time to time, for journalistic contacts in the Soviet Embassy. From one of these contacts the suggestion was made that a group of Soviet Russian journalists touring the United States might be interested in visiting Green Spring Farm.

[82] Fairfax County Division of Planning, August 1969.

[83] Fairfax County Tax Books, 1943, 1960. The 1968 evaluation, at 40 percent of market value, was $93,415, and the total tax was $4,016.85. In 1923, when the property consisted of 332 acres and was owned by J. M. Duncan, it was valued at $8,240, and the taxes were $20.60.

[84] Resident Engineer, Virginia Department of Highways, Fairfax, Virginia. August 1969.

ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION: THE MANSION HOUSE

GENERAL SETTING. Green Spring Farm is located in Mason Magisterial District, approximately one-eighth mile north of Little River Turnpike and one-eighth mile east of Braddock Road. Via the Little River Turnpike, the farm is approximately six miles west of Alexandria and approximately two miles east of Annandale.

The terrain in the vicinity of the farm is mainly flat, with some very gentle rolling areas. It is well watered, being crossed by Turkey Cock Run. During 1946-50, three ponds were dug in back of the house. They are spring-fed, and their runoff drains into Turkey Cock Run. With the original forest cover cleared off at least 200 years ago, the present clusters of pine and oak, and the incidence of hemlock, cherry, crabapple, and other flowering species, represent a reforestation several generations removed from the original, and, in other instances, the landscaping done by the Straights in the late 1940's.

HOUSE SITE. The mansion house faces south and is connected with the Little River Turnpike by a black-top (asphalt-surfaced) road which passes on the west side of the house and runs north to Braddock Road. Inside the post and rail fence, alongside this road, the driveway up to the house is lined with trees, and the yard in front of the house is open and flat. Between the lawn and the road, a line of cedars in the fence row serves as a screen.

The back (north side) of the house faces a semicircular open grass lawn, bordered with hedges which provide both a screen for the lawn and a background for several stone carvings and cement castings which decorate a lawn approximately 1,500 square feet in size. At the northeast corner of this open space is located the log cabin; beyond the log cabin, approximately 110 feet in a northeasterly direction, is the barn, which is converted into living quarters.[85]

Northwest of the main house, facing on Green Spring Road, is the spring house. Originally built over a series of natural springs in order to have water for cooling dairy products, this stone house was converted into a small dwelling house by the Straights in 1942.

GENERAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND HISTORY. In its present condition, the mansion house at Green Spring Farm cannot be considered to represent any particular period of American architecture. The original core of the building illustrates a design which was typical of the colonial era in Tidewater Virginia. This portion of the house is of brick construction, two stories plus attic and cellar, with the rooms in each end of the house separated by a center hallway. Large chimneys at each end of the house made possible heating by fireplaces in each room.

It seems probable that this structure formed the core of the mansion house when it was occupied by the Moss family (1770's to 1835). To this core, various outbuildings and dependencies were added; a separate cookhouse or kitchen annex to the main house was one of these related structures, as were the family's sanitary facilities. Clothes washing, churning, candlemaking, and various other household tasks were also performed in separate buildings. No direct evidence of the appearance of the main house or the various related outbuildings has been discovered; some inferences about these matters may be drawn from the inventory of personal property sold from the farm at auction in 1835 and a drawing of the house on an 1840 survey (figure 2).

Photographs of the south side of the house show the building as it appeared in 1885 (figure 5). At this time, a one-story porch had been built across the entire length of the front. The entry into the house across this porch was open, but on each side of the front door the porch was enclosed, making small rooms approximately 9 by 12 feet in size. From each room a door opened out onto the porch. The porch was roofed with sheet metal, and carved wooden brackets were in the corners of the center section (figure 5). A sidewalk led from the entrance in the center of the ivy-covered front porch straight across the spacious, shaded lawn.

Photographs in 1936 show the front porch removed but with clear signs of its recent presence showing in the whitewash on the front wall of the house (figure 7). At this time, the roof of the main house was sheet metal in place of the earlier use of shingles. However, shingles still constituted the roofing of the dependency on the east end of the house.

The 1885 photographs show a one-story brick addition on the east end of the house. This was a kitchen, built sometime after the main portion of the house but still probably in the first half of the nineteenth century. The notice of sale of the farm following Thomas Moss's death in 1835 speaks of "a Brick Dwelling, containing eight rooms, Brick Kitchen, Meat House, Servants' House, ..." and other farm and outbuildings.[86] Of all the buildings mentioned in this notice, the kitchen appears to be the most logical and appropriate use for this addition. Later occupants of the house (1880-1917) used this wing for a kitchen and describe it as not only the center for preparation of food but for numerous other household activities, such as candlemaking.[87]

The arrangement of rooms during the nineteenth century is not known with certainty. The 1839 reference to eight rooms suggests that as originally built the house had four rooms on each floor, with perhaps no effort to use the attic as living space, at least until the time of Fountain Beattie who added dormers to the attic and used this top floor to help accommodate his large family. This inference is strengthened by the fact that prior to the 1940's the central core of the house was laid out in this manner.

The major renovation of the house in the early 1940's was planned and carried out by Walter Macomber and resulted in the addition of a wing on the west end of the central block (in which a new kitchen was installed), conversion of the old kitchen wing on the east end of the central core into a living room with a small sunporch attached, rearrangement of the stairways and central hallway, and certain other interior changes. This involved removal of substantial amounts of the original materials in the house and replacement by material considered to be suitable in terms of age and texture. These changes are reflected in the exterior appearance and interior room arrangement of the house at the present time.

Further structural changes were made in 1960. At this time it was discovered that the second floor was sagging because of the removal of bearing walls in 1942 when the first floor was converted from four rooms into two.[88] This situation was corrected by pouring concrete footings in the basement and setting in them a series of steel columns. These columns ran up through the wall on the west side of the central hallway and were topped by a steel beam running the width of the house. The joists for the second floor were anchored in this new beam.[89]

At the same time this structural reinforcement was being added, several closets, cabinets, and bookcases were built into the rooms on the second floor and attic, making use of space under the eaves.

The remodeling done in 1960 was designed and supervised by Keyes, Lethbridge & Condon, Washington architects.

At the present time, the exterior fabric appears to be sound and well maintained. On the interior, a certain amount of deterioration is evidenced in the looseness of the joints in the flooring and stairs and in the uneven settling of door frames in the original portion of the house. The grounds adjacent to the house are in good condition and appear to be well maintained.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION--EXTERIOR.

_Overall Dimensions._ Width: 78 feet by 25 feet in central section, and 20 feet in wings. Height: central section, two and one-half stories; wings, one and one-half stories; sunporch, one story.

_Foundations._ The central section of the house stands on brick foundations which are carried up through the basement walls.

A brick wall extending upward to the second floor divides the basement into two sections and served as part of the original foundations. In the basement, a series of arches in this wall permitted passage between the two sections. In 1960, the upper portions of this wall were found to have deteriorated to the point that it was necessary to pour concrete footings in the basement and erect a series of steel columns up through the wall to relieve it from bearing the weight of the second-floor beams and floor joists.

The east wing (present living room, former kitchen) rests on brick foundations, with the present wooden flooring laid over the original cobblestone floor of the old kitchen. The west wing (present kitchen) rests on concrete footings and slab at grade.