Seaport In Virginia - free ebook by Gay Montague Moore

SEAPORT IN VIRGINIA

George Washington GEORGE WASHINGTON By Dr. Elisha Cullen Dick. A painting in oil after a pastel by James Sharples. ( Courtesy Mount Vernon Ladies' Association )...

10 minute read

Read Chapter

George Washington's Alexandria

ship THE UNIVERSITY PRESS OF VIRGINIA CHARLOTTESVILLE The University Press of Virginia Copyright © 1949 by The Rector and the Visitors of the University of Virginia Second printing 1972 SBN: 0-8139-0183-9 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-188711 Printed in the United States of America heading...

33 minute read

Read Chapter

PREFACE

Twenty years ago on a hot and sultry July afternoon, my husband and I started to Mount Vernon to spend the day. On our return to Washington, we lazily drove through the old and historic town of Alexandria—and bought a house! The town at once became of vital interest to us. We spent months and years going through every vacant building into which we could force an entrance. Our setter dogs could point an empty doorway as well as a covey of quail, and seemed as curious about the interiors as we wer

2 minute read

Read Chapter

CHAPTER DRAWINGS

CHAPTER 1: Ramsay house. After restoration plans by Milton L. Grigg. CHAPTER 2: Keystone from Carlyle House, basement level. CHAPTER 3: John Dalton's frame house. Hypothetical restoration with false front removed. CHAPTER 4: Fairfax coat of arms. From Belvoir fireback. Preserved in the Mount Vernon collection. CHAPTER 5: George William Fairfax house, south façade. CHAPTER 6: John Gadsby's famous hostelry and tavern sign, "Bunch of Grapes." CHAPTER 7: Michael Swope house, showing flounder type el

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PART ONE: PROLOGUE

An Account of the First Century of The Seaport of Alexandria house A typical Alexandria shipping merchant's home: Bernard Chequire, called the "count," built his dwelling and storeroom under the same roof heading In the middle of the seventeenth century when the English King, Charles II, was generously settling Virginia land upon loyal subjects, what is now the port of Alexandria was part of six thousand acres granted by the Royal Governor, Sir William Berkeley, in the name of His Majesty, to Ro

33 minute read

Read Chapter

PART TWO

heading...

3 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 1

William Ramsay: Romulus of Alexandria [Historic Ramsay House, once the home of Alexandria's first mayor and oldest building standing in the city, miraculously escaped destruction by fire in 1942. Later threatened by the "wheels of progress," it was saved by heroic efforts of Alexandria antiquarians who persuaded the city fathers to purchase the structure as a gesture to the 1949 anniversary. As this book goes to press an active campaign is under way by Alexandria historical societies to raise fu

20 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 2

John Carlyle and His House [Like nearby Ramsay House, the home of John Carlyle has also been threatened by business interests and was in danger of demolition just before the outbreak of World War II. It was saved by Mr. Lloyd L. Scheffer who acquired the property from the Wagar estate and continues to maintain the residence as a historic house museum. Entrance to the Carlyle Home is through the lobby of the Wagar apartments at 123 North Fairfax Street.] In an ancient will book at Fairfax Court H

9 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 3

The Married Houses [209-211 North Fairfax Street. Owner: Mrs. Herbert E. Marshburn.] When the new town of Alexandria was laid out, John Dalton purchased, on July 13, 1749, the first lot put up for sale (No. 36) for the sum of nineteen pistoles . The lot faced the Potomac River and was bounded by Water (now Lee) Street, Fairfax Street and lot No. 37. When the latter lot, which lay on Cameron and Fairfax, was put up later in the day, it was purchased by Dalton for sixteen pistoles . Within three y

6 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 4

The Fairfaxes of Belvoir and Alexandria Of the families in Virginia closely associated with George Washington, none bore so intimate a relation as that of Fairfax. William Fairfax, founder of the Virginia branch of the family, was born in 1691 in Towlston in Yorkshire, England, the son of the Honorable Henry Fairfax, Sheriff of Yorkshire, and grandson of the Fourth Lord Fairfax. Educated as a member of the governing classes, he began his career in the navy, later entering the colonial service. B

16 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 5

The George William Fairfax House [207 Prince Street. Owners: Colonel and Mrs. Charles B. Moore.] The 200 block of Prince Street is probably the finest left in Old Alexandria, in that it has suffered less change. No less than seven brick eighteenth century town dwellings remain in almost pristine condition. A small and fine Classical Revival building, and Mordecai Miller's "double three storied wooden buildings" make for diversity, while the old textile mill, later Green's furniture manufactory,

15 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 6

John Gadsby and His Famous Tavern [Gadsby's Tavern is controlled today by the Gadsby's Tavern Board, Inc., under the auspices of the American Legion. The patriotic organizations of Alexandria have joined in the restoration of this building. In 1932 the Alexandria Chapter of the Colonial Dames of America, the Alexandria Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Washington Society, restored the first floor, which included the famous dining rooms of the City Hotel. Due to the unt

14 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 7

The Michael Swope House [210 Prince Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Hugh B. Cox.] There is an ancient house in Alexandria whose rusty rose brick façade and beautifully hand-carved eighteenth century doorway add ornament and distinction to the 200 block of Prince Street. Not many years ago Mrs. Alexander Murray (the daughter of a former owner) who had spent her girlhood in this old house remarked to the author, "You know, the house has a ghost. There is a story that an American Revolutionary spy who

8 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 8

Dr. William Brown and His Dwelling [212 South Fairfax Street. Owners: Honorable and Mrs. Howard R. Tolley.] Between George Mason's house, Gunston Hall, and Mount Vernon, on Highway 1, about seventeen miles south of Alexandria, stands the colonial church of Pohick. There is an old cemetery behind a brick wall, beginning at the very door of the church and rambling over an acre or so of the yard. Among the tombs is that of one man peculiarly and intimately connected with the town of Alexandria. He

10 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 9

The Peruke Shop [405 Prince Street. Owners: The Moore Family.] This house is completely surprising. Many years ago the owners put on a new pressed-brick front and changed the sash from the usual small lights to two single lights of large dimensions. The transition from this 1890 front to an eighteenth century interior in a perfect state of preservation, produces upon one crossing the threshold the sensation of walking straight through the looking glass. And whither does the looking glass lead? R

5 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 10

Historic Christ Church Earliest parish records shed little light upon the spiritual life of the infant settlement of Alexandria. First mention of services held in the town turns up in the old Truro Parish vestry book, under date of June 4, 1753, when it was "ordered that the Rev. Mr. Charles Green do preach every third Sunday." [122] Later entries in 1754 and 1756 respectively for "building the desk at Alexandria" [123] and "to have seats made for the Church at Alexandria" [124] are puzzling sin

11 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 11

The Presbyterian Meetinghouse [In 1928 the church was restored as a shrine and the cemetery put in order by a group of persons, many of whom were descendants of the original society members. In 1940 the Alexandria Association replaced the missing pulpit with one, which while not a replica, conveys the spirit if not the pattern of that destroyed. Ecclesiastical settlement has vested the property in the name of the Second Presbyterian Church of Alexandria. Before this book goes to press the Old Pr

13 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 12

Presenting The Sun Fire Company In the eighteenth century calamities visited Alexandria, and of these nothing was more feared than fire. To prevent and control such catastrophes the gentlemen of the town formed themselves into several companies of fire fighters. How and with what means the raging holocausts were controlled is revealed in an old, mutilated, leather-bound minute book of the Sun Fire Company. [135] The first entry in this treasure is part of the damaged record for the March meeting

9 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 13

Captain John Harper and His Houses The streets of the old port of Alexandria bear royal names. Prince is one of those streets, shown in the first map of the town as surveyed in 1749. The 100 block is still paved with cobblestones "big as beer kegs" purportedly laid by Hessian prisoners during the Revolution. The brick houses which sprang up in early days set the standard for the town. Many of these houses were erected prior to the Revolution and immediately after the signing of the peace in 1783

8 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 14

Dr. Elisha C. Dick and The Fawcett House [507 Prince Street. Owners: The Fawcett Family.] The dashing Dr. Dick first appeared in Alexandria fresh from the tutelage of Drs. Benjamin Rush and William Shippen of Philadelphia. He was just twenty-one and of a figure to set feminine hearts aflutter; five feet ten inches, of commanding presence, very handsome, "playing with much skill upon several musical instruments" and singing in a sweet voice of great power; skilled and learned in his profession, "

18 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 15

The Benjamin Dulany House [601 Duke Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. John Howard Joynt.] On February 15, 1773, George Washington wrote to a friend, "Our celebrated Fortune Miss French, whom half the world was in pursuit of, bestowed her hand on Wednesday last, being her birthday (you perceive I think myself under the necessity of accounting for the choice) upon Mr. Ben Dulany, who is to take her to Maryland in a month from this time." [149] Miss French, the heiress, was a ward of Washington and live

16 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 16

Dr. James Craik and His Dwelling [210 Duke Street. Owner: Mr. Merle Colby.] Of the many quaint, historical figures whose memories haunt the old streets and houses of Alexandria, none is more interesting than Dr. Craik. He is remembered as a "stout, hale, cheery old man, perfectly erect, fond of company and children, and amusing himself with gardening work." But this was when the sands were running out. The good Doctor had passed fourscore years, and his share of history-making was over. Let us t

15 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 17

Alexandria's Old Apothecary Shop [With the settlement of the Leadbeater estate in 1933, these two adjoining buildings were acquired by the Landmarks Society of Alexandria and the contents purchased by the American Pharmaceutical Association. Under the direction of Mrs. Robert M. Reese the buildings have been restored and opened to the public as a museum with displays generously lent by the American Pharmaceutical Association. Entrance at 107 South Fairfax Street.] Among the Quakers who settled i

2 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 18

Spring Gardens [414 Franklin Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Harry W. Harris.] The stranger arriving in Alexandria by ship, coach, or horse could be sure of a welcome. The old port was noted for her taverns. They were numerous and good. At the taverns the gentlemen of the town were wont to gather for an oyster supper, a turtle feast, or a cockfight. The Masonic brothers sought these places for their banquets, and often for their meetings. Here stagecoaches drew up with bustle and excitement to put

8 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 19

William Fitzhugh and Robert E. Lee Another fine example of late eighteenth century federal architecture in Alexandria is the residence at 607 Oronoco Street,[Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Goodale.] commonly spoken of as the boyhood home of Robert E. Lee. This house abounds with memories of Alexandria. Her history, romance, and past are interwoven here in a perfect pattern. Washington, perhaps, frequented this house more than any other save Dr. Craik's after the Fitzhughs moved to Alexandria fro

8 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 20

George Washington's Tenements [123 South Pitt Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Latimer Hadsel. 125 South Pitt Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Harlan Trott.] On the corner of Pitt and Prince Streets stand two little frame houses that possess the distinction of being the only buildings in Alexandria built on George Washington's lots and dating back to his time. Their history is fairly complete and may be compiled by anyone taking the trouble to search the records housed in the Alexandria clerk's off

10 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 21

The Georgian Cottage [711 Prince Street. Owner: Mrs. Andrew Pickens.] Alexandria was never a large town. The thrifty merchants of this Scottish trading center built well, and their dwellings abound in architectural interest, but really great houses are rare. On the 700 block of Prince Street, behind a picket fence, guarded by a tall magnolia and several gnarled box trees stands what is called in England a "Georgian cottage," which in Alexandria is an important house. On November 2, 1797, William

5 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 22

The Vowell-Snowden House [619 South Lee Street.] Presently the residence of Mr. Justice and Mrs. Hugo L. Black, this house has been known in Alexandria for about a hundred years as the Snowden home; and so it was from 1842 to 1912 when it passed from the hands of that family. The Snowdens have long been prominent in the old town. Samuel Snowden became sole owner and editor of the Alexandria Gazette in 1800, a paper that traces its ancestry back to 1784, and boasts of being the oldest daily newsp

3 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 23

The Edmund Jennings Lee House [428 North Washington Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Franklin F. Korell.] Many of the citizens of this community bore the greatest names in the Commonwealth. Henry Cabot Lodge's description of Virginia society in the eighteenth century might aptly be applied to Alexandria: "We must go back to Athens to find another instance of a Society so small in numbers and yet capable of such an outburst of ability and force." Among the great Virginia names closely associated with

6 minute read

Read Chapter

EPILOGUE

WASHINGTON IN GLORY—AMERICA IN TEARS The effect of the sudden news of his death upon the inhabitants of Alexandria can better be conceived than expressed. At first a general disorder, wildness, and consternation pervaded the town. The tale appeared as an illusory dream, as the raving of a sickly imagination. But these impressions soon gave place to sensations of the most poignant sorrow and extreme regret. On Monday and Wednesday the stores were all closed and all business suspended, as if each

1 minute read

Read Chapter

PART THREE

Five Sketches of the Nineteenth Century house...

3 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 24

The Yeaton-Fairfax House [607 Cameron Street. Owners: The Misses Crilly.] William Yeaton was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1766, and migrated to Alexandria to enter the shipping business when a young man. In the early nineteenth century he launched into the building trade—an "undertaker" he would have been called in the eighteenth century—an architect and contractor today. On July 15, 1805, he purchased from Cuthburt Powell a part of a lot, granted unto Levin Powell by James Irvine in a

7 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 25

The La Fayette-Lawrason-Cazenove House [301 South St. Asaph Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Wallack.] The presence of La Fayette was nothing new to Alexandria, yet his official visit in 1824, as the nation's guest, created a turmoil in the town. As soon as the news was received of his arrival in New York (it took two days to reach Alexandria) Captain A. William's company of artillery arose before dawn to fire a national salute at sunrise, and at noon the same company fired seventy-six rounds

8 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 26

Enter the Quaker Pedagogue: Benjamin Hallowell Benjamin Hallowell came to Alexandria in 1824 to open a school for boys. He was then twenty-five, with no fortune, a large debt, a dependent mother, a new and young bride. For his first school he rented the building on the northeast corner of Oronoco and Washington Streets, next to the house where the widow of General Harry Lee resided! Alexandria was in a turmoil of hospitality, welcoming the Marquis de la Fayette. Hallowell and his wife of a few h

8 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 27

The Alexandria Lyceum [201 South Washington Street.] Benjamin Hallowell, our Quaker pedagogue, was not content with improving the minds of the young. He soon realized the necessity of furbishing up the cranial contents of his associates. An able propagandist, Hallowell set himself to interest his friends in founding a lyceum. This was accomplished in 1834, just ten years after his entrance as a schoolmaster. Naturally he was the first president and naturally the early lectures were held in his s

6 minute read

Read Chapter

Chapter 28

The Sea Captain's Daughter and Her House [617 South Washington Street. Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Westcott Hill.] This large, almost square house, rises three stories in a stately pile of soft red brick, flanked by two ancient tulip trees towering twenty-five feet above the pavilion roof, while a great box hedge partially hides the front façade and large garden. Five generations of the same family have called it home. It is a romantic and interesting house. Built prior to 1853 by Reuben Robert

4 minute read

Read Chapter

Acknowledgments

It would be impossible to write a book of this kind without a great deal of help from many sources. This help was given by very busy people with knowledge or documents, which inspired the historian to further impositions upon their useful persons. An expression of appreciation, always banal, is nevertheless an attempt to express gratitude—and this is my only means of acknowledging my obligations to friend and stranger. Without such help this book, such as it is, would never have been written and

4 minute read

Read Chapter

Part One: Prologue

An Account of the First Century of the Seaport of Alexandria. [1] Caton, Jottings from the Annals of Alexandria , 3-4; and Powell, The History of Old Alexandria, Virginia , 25. [2] Hening, Statutes at Large , IV, 268. [3] Journals of the House of Burgesses of Virginia , Session 1727-34, 1736-40, 204. [4] Ibid. [5] Ibid. , Session 1742-47, 1748-49, 30. [6] Fairfax County was formed from Prince William in 1742 ( Journals of the House of Burgesses, Virginia , 1742-47, 70; and Hening, V, 207-8) afte

3 minute read

Read Chapter

Part Two: The Presence of George Washington, 1749-1799.

Chapter 1. WILLIAM RAMSAY: Romulus of Alexandria . [57] Harrison, Landmarks of Old Prince William , II, 371, quoting President Madison in 1827. [58] Harrison, Landmarks of Old Prince William , II, 406. [59] Ibid. , 663. Alexandria, 1749. Record Hening, I, 214, C.O. 5, 1895, No. 20. Description: "60 Acres ... parcel of the land of Philip Alexander, John Alexander, and Hugh West, situate ... on the south side of Potomack River about the mouth of Great Hunting Creek in the county of Fairfax." Trust

10 minute read

Read Chapter

PART THREE: FIVE SKETCHES OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY.

Chapter 24. THE YEATON-FAIRFAX HOUSE. [184] Deed Book K , 264. Alexandria. [185] Information contributed by Mr. Worth Bailey. The author is indebted to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association for permission to quote Yeaton's letter which follows in the chapter text. Alexandria Deed Books : D , 81; S-2, 669. Alexandria Liber V-3 , 470. Chapter 25. THE LA FAYETTE-LAWRASON-CAZENOVE HOUSE. [186] Alexandria Gazette , October 19, 1824. Fairfax Deed Books : G , 358, 383; K, 181. Chapter 26. ENTER THE QUAK

59 minute read

Read Chapter

Bibliography

I. MANUSCRIPTS Alexandria Court Records ; Deed Books, Will Books. [Alexandria], Custom Record Journal of the Port for the Year 1816-1817. Privately owned. [Alexandria], Minutes of the Trustees and the Council , 1749-1780; 1792-1800. [Alexandria], Minutes of the Sun Fire Company . Privately owned. [Alexandria], Personal Tax List, 1782. Virginia State Library and Archives. Fairfax County Court Records ; Deed Books, Will Books, Minutes and Order. [Fairfax County], Census and List of Tithables for 1

6 minute read

Read Chapter