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Home , Augustine Washington, Hunting Creek, John Washington, Mount Vernon, Popes Creek (Virginia), Washington family

- - George Birthplace NATIONAL MONUMENT Birthplace NATIONAL MONUMENT

At his father's plantation on . Va .• George Washing-

ton was bom. February 22, J 732, and spent his first three years.

He who has gone down in history charac- father of George, was second officer on terized as " ... first in war, first in peace, this ship which had come to the colonies to and first in the hearts of his countrymen," obtain a cargo of . John Wash- first saw life in the simple countryside of ington soon married Ann Pope, daughter Tidewater Virginia. Here, in a land known of Col. Nathaniel Pope, a wealthy land- for its many places of serene beauty, few owner living near . Colonel scenes impress the senses and mind as do Pope settled his daughter and son-in-law those at the birthplace of George Wash- on a joo-acre tract of land nearby, which ington. The courage, wholesome char- was given to them as a wedding gift. In acter, unselfish devotion, and wise leader- 1664 moved to a new ship of the man who was born here will home 4 miles to the eastward on Bridges forever make this a revered historical site Creek. for all Americans. John Washington, his son Lawrence Washington, and the latter's son Augustine, THE the great-grandfather, grandfather, and father, respectively, of George, all had The first Washington ancestor of our first active and distinguished careers as plant- President came to Virginia in 1656. On ers and civic-minded leaders in Virginia February 28 of that year an English ship, affairs. Augustine, the father of George, named "Seahorse of London," ran aground was sent to Appleby School in . during a storm and foundered in the Po- In 1718 bought tomac River near the mouth of Mattox from Joseph Abbington ISO acres of land Creek. John washington, the great-grand- fronting on Popes Creek, a mile east of the

View across lawn and Popes Creek from Memorial Mansion. Bridges Creek home. It is not known precisely when Augustine moved to this land. All that is known with certainty is that 9 years after its purchase, on February 23, 1726, a deed of uses, executed by Au- gustine Washington and his wife, men- tions owning the land in fee simple "where he now lives which land he ... purchased of one Joseph Abbington." From other documentary evidence it may be inferred that Augustine Washington's house on Popes Creek was built by himself and was occupied some time around 1725-1726: Augustine's first wife, Jane Butler, died in 1]29, survived by 3 of her 4 children, Lawrence, Augustine" Jr., and Jane. Au- gustine married his second wife, Mary Ball, a daughter of Col. Joseph Ball, of Lancaster County, Va., on March 6, 1730. Their first child, George, was born at the Popes Creek home on February 11, 1732, Bottle seals found in excavations at Wakefield. according to the old style calendar, or on Top seal bears name of John Washington; the

February 22, 1732, according to the new bottom seal has monogram A WJ the initials style calendar, the date which is now cele- for Augustine Washington. brated as the anniversary. After George, 5 other children were born was destroyed on Day, 1]79. to Augustine 'Washington and Mary Ball. The house was not rebuilt. They were: Elizabeth, Samuel, Charles, John Augustine, and Mildred, the last of PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF THE whom died in infancy. The first 3 years of George Washington's BIRTHPLACE SITE life were spent at his birthplace on Popes In 1 BB2 the Washington heir and the State Creek. In 1735 Augustine Washington of Virginia donated to the moved his family to the the old Washington Family Burial Ground plantation, now known as , and a So-foot-square plot of land at the and in 1739 to the "Strother estate" on house site, together with a right-of-way to the Rappahannock River opposite Fred- each. In 1883 the United States Govern- cricksburg, Here he died in 1743. In ment bought some I I acres of land at the accordance with his request Augustine birthsite for greater protection and for nec- 'Washington was buried with h.is ancestors essary connecting roads. In 1B96 a granite at Bridges Creek. shaft was erected by the Federal Govern- The Washington birthplaee on Popes ment ncar the site of the birthplace house Creek had gone to Augustine Washington, at a point where an earlier stone marker. Jr., a half brother of George, in '743 upon which had long since disappeared, had the death of Augustine Washington. Au- been set by members of the family and gustine, Jr., lived there until his death in friends in 1815. 1762 and an inventory of his personal prop- In '923 the Wakefield National Memo- erty offers valuable evidence of the old rial Association was organized under the home. The farm passed to his son, William leadership of Mrs. Josephine Wheelwright Augustine Washington, who was living in Rust. The stated purpose of this Associa- the birthplace house when it was acciden- tion was to recover the birthplace grounds tally destroyed by fire during the Revolu- of George Washington, restore them, and tionary War. Tradition and some indirect make the place a shrine for the American evidence support the claim that the house people. An act of Congress in 1926 author-

UHi2481l-l ized the Association to make these im- The United States appropriated a por- provements, including buildings. tion of the money used by the Wakefield The Wakefield National Memorial National Memorial Associa tion in erecting' Association and Mr. John D. Rockefeller, the Memorial Mansion and in developing jr., spent considerable money in acquiring the grounds. The granite shaft was moved land at "Wakefield." These holdings were to its present location in the course of this turned over to the United States in 1931. work. The Memorial Mansion was erected Formal ceremonies were held at "wake- in 1930--1931, and was immediately opened field," May 14, 1932, when Secretary of to the public. the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur accepted The tilt-top table in the dining room of the lands and improvements on behalf of the Memorial Mansion is the only surviv- the United States. ing piece of furniture known to have been in the original birthplace home. The THE MEMORIAL MANSION house has been furnished by the Wakefield Extensive research undertaken by thc National Memorial Association to portray Wakefield National Memorial Association living conditions as they were in the time relative to the birthplace house and of Washington's parents in the early 18th grounds failed to discover reliable infor- century. mation concerning the appearance of the Ncar the land-front door of the house original house. 'The structure that was are situated an old Hackberry tree, fig erected therefore represents generally a bushes, herbs and flowers, undoubtedly de- Virginia plantation house of the rSth cen- rived from plants which grew on the place tury. Since no authentic picture of the when Washington lived there as a boy. house could be found, tradition and surviv- The boxwood, well over 100 years old, was ing houses of the period were used as the brought from the home of Sarah Tayloe basis of the arbitrary design of the Memo- Washington and probably is derived from rial Mansion, a house of Brooms, 4 down- boxwood originally at Wakefield. stairs and 4 in the half story upstairs, with a central hallway on each floor. The Situated about 50 feet from the Memo- rial Mansion is a typical colonial period bricks used in constructing the Memorial Mansion were made by hand on the place frame kitchen built on the traditional site from clay obtained in a field adjoining the o~ the old kitchen. lt is now being fur- house site. nished by the Wakefield National Memo- rial Association to portray a plantation

Old WaJhington Family Burial Ground. cooking establishment of the period of washington's youth. In the quiet old-fashioned garden estab- ~--....~- ...... lished near the Memorial Mansion will be - found only those plants, flowers, vines, herbs, and berries that were common to Virginia gardens during the period of Washington's youth.

OLD WASHINGTON FAMILY BURIAL GROUND Situated about one mile northwest of the Memorial Mansion, near the banks of Bridges Creek, arc the sites of the 1664 home of Col. John Washington and of the The "water front" view o/1I1emorial Mansion, old Washington family burial plot. Among the members of whose remains arc interred in the vault in miles east of Fredericksburg. It is reached this burial ground are Col. John Washing- by an entrance road off Virginia State ton, who came from England, together Highway NO.3. A system of good high- with his wife Ann Pope; his brother Law- ways connect the area with Washington, rence; his sons Maj. Lawrence Washing- D. C., Fredericksburg, Richmond, and ton and Capt. John Washington j Augus- Williamsburg. tine Washington, the father of George, to- gether with his first wife, Jane Butler; and SERVICES TO THE PUBLIC Augustine Washington II, half brother of The monument is open to the public George. There are 32 burials in all within every day in the year from 8 a. m. until 5 the enclosure. Two original gravestones re- p. rn., E. S. T. A fee of 10 cents is charged main.one dated 1690and 1696and the other visitors over 16 years of age for admission '729. Upon his death in '799, George to the grounds, including the memorial Washington was buried at Mount Vernon. buildings, with the exception of those in In 1930 considerable improvement work organized school groups who are admitted was done within the old burial plot under free up to 18 years of age. However, those the auspices of the Wakefield National over 1:2 years of age must pay the tax of 2 Memorial Association, and in that year 5 cents. Organized groups arc given special new tablestones were erected, the central services if arrangements are made in ad- stone, over the vault, being to the memory vance with the superintendent. of Col. John Washington and Ann Pope A luncheon area and a lodge, The Log washington, the progenitors of the Wash- House Tea Room, have been provided for ington family in Virginia. the convenience of visitors. Meals and refreshments are served daily, except Mon- THE PARK days, in the afternoons at the Log House George Washington Birthplace National during the summer season. Monument was established by act of Con- gress, approved January 23, 1930, although ADMINISTRATlON the Federal Covcmmcnt had a small hold- George Washington Birthplace National ing at the site as early as ,882. The area Monument is a part of the National Park now comprises 393.68 acres of land, most System and is administered by the National of which was within the old Augustine Park Service of the United States Depart- washington plantation. ment of the Interior. Communications should be addressed to the Superintendent How TO REAGH THE PARK George Washington Birthplace National washington's birthplace is situated along Monument, Washington Birthplace, ''''est- moreland County, Va. the in Virginia, about 38 o MAC -- .:=:.::-":'~....

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GEORGE WASHINGTON BI RTHPLACE NATIONAL MONUMENT

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE I ITERlOR J. A. Krug, Secretary , Newton B. Drury, Director

HI-liN8&-2 u.s. GOY(",.."'EHr '"IHflHG OffiCE (Revised 1049)