Show LANDMARKS OF alexandria quedna little virginian Virgini aur town contains conta ins many mamy mementoes of the highest historical interest of all the interesting reminders of george washington probably the least known and decidedly the least ampre dated elated are to be found in the quaint little town of alexandria nestling on the banks of the potomac a few miles below the national capital in the days when mount vernon was the center of american heart interest and the site of the present city of wash ington was but a broad expanse of green meadows alexandria was a city of consequence and the capital of a social domain quite as brilliant in its way as that which now holds sway at the american seat of government george washington always took the greatest interest in the welfare of the little city whither be he turned alike for supplies for his plantation and tor for the social diversions of which he was no fond the great cobblestones in alexandria s streets were laid by the hessian prisoners under washing tons ton s directions here the masonic lodge of which he was worshipful mas ter held its festivities here he came to sunday services in old christ christs s church sitting with his family in the old square pew which yet bears behrs the silver plate with the facsimile of his autograph and here finally he came to indulge his proverbial fondness for dancing at the celebrated birth night balls instituted in his honor however george washington s con with alexandria dates back far beyond the time when he was feted even the names of the streets in alexandria are reminiscent of the old regime the principal thoroughfares rejoicing in the names of king wash ington princess duke st asaph pitt and fairfax there may yet be biewett the lowrison Low rason or smoot house where lafayette and his suite were quartered when the distinguished frenchman has so royally entertained upon the occasion of his visit to alexandria in 1825 and on king street Is the mar shall house where col ellsworth of the new york paid the pen alty of his life for tearing down a con federate flag one of the most drama tic incidents of the civil war even the houses which have no par nicular historical association are so strange as to give the visitors the im that he has suddenly been set down in a foreign land in another coun try rich carving ornaments the stair cases there are quaint old porticos century old walled in gardens contrib ute an air of mystery heightened by damp courtyards and sepulchral wine vaults and finally stately mahogany furniture treasures in old china and somber old family portraits aid in car crying out the impression for all that did it not happen to be on the road from washington to mount vernon it is likely that alexandria would be al most entirely neglected by the modern tourist the most interesting place in alex andria however Is the old christ upon the p ople of the parish for the purpose of building a new church at alexandria for which the ground was donated by charles alexander the church was built for by james parsons in accordance with plans drawn by b an architect named wren on the day of acceptance ten pews were offered for ale and no 5 was purchased by col george washing ton for icae 06 ls being the highest price paid the Roo woodwork dwork and walls are white which seems to add to the surround ings a charming air of purity and sim stin there is the altar with its heavy canopy on each side of which are large panels containing the nal doctrines of the church printed in bold old fashioned letters direct by charles alexander to the left ot of the font is the reading pulpit in the wall on each side of the chancel are set tablets the one to the left is in scribed fo the memory of george washington and the one to the right to the memory of robert E lee in the middle of the room hangs an elaborate chandelier which was pre dented to the church in 1785 by wah ington it was made for candles they being used for illuminating until 1853 over on the left side of the church Is the pew which washington bought for 36 ls it is a high box about five by eight feet in of d mansions men mens lons and has straight backed seats on three sides all the pews were originally af 17 IA C 41 IA I 1 T P R A 4 oz OX 5 i here liere as the nations hero in this community ot of a bygone age with its colonial doorways of the georgian pe its liverpool warehouses and mansions set close to the pavement are the records of young washington a enlistment in the french and indian war and indeed there Is the old house in which gen braddock held council of war with five colonial governors at alexandria too washington voted for the candidates for the house of bur gesses at a time when the air was filled with the first mutterings of the impending storm of revolt old alexandria is rampant with fas cina ting traditions relative to the greatest rebel of all times it Is related that when as a boy he was study ing surveying and living at mount ver non eon then the residence of bis his brother be he was wont alexandria aa as many as ten times a week each time mounted upon a different horse any one of which would hae hale delighted the heart of a cavalryman the future leader of the continental army took great interest in training the alexan dria militia and many of its people accompanied him on the campaign which ended with braddock s defeat after washington married and in lie berated mount vernon he greatly shocked the aristocratic society of al ex andria by sending his market cart to the city to of d esposo of the produce of his estate but he endeared himself to the humbler coition of the corn com by his worl in securing the erection of the first town pump in bis his younger days he bad had been n ev member of the alexandria volunteer fire company and assisted in extinguishing many a blaze in 1775 he purchased at a cost of a small fire engine and sint it to hf his fellow firemen in the little city on the potomac church where washington and lee worshiped there among the trees it stands simple and unadorned in its architecture and with its old red brick walls and stately steeple it looms up as a monument to the past the north side of the building is al most entirely coi cohered ered with ivy to the left of the church stretches the churchyard with its solemn tomb stones a century old standing like sentinels guarding the last earthly resting places of the dead forefathers that washington was faithful in his attendance at the meetings of his church is conclusively shown by the diary kept by himself some of the en tries in which are as follows 1760 peb feb 9 rev C green dined at mount vernon 1768 may 8 went to church from colonel bassett bassetts Bas s 1768 june 5 to church at alexan dria dined at colonel carlyle s 1768 july 10 vestry meeting 1768 sept 9 vestry meeting at the new church dined at carlyle s 1769 april church from eltham and dined with colonel daingerfield at the pastor s 1773 may 3 to alexandria with nellie calvert 1774 june 24 to church at alexan dria 1785 sept 15 sent my chariot to alexandr a for ml miss s sally kamsey ramsey and isi JA ty y thompson to be bri desm ds for fanny ranny bassett rev dr griffith and rev dr grayson came to dinner after the candles were lighted george ceorge A was lington and miss bissett bassett were married marriel by kev rev dr grayon gray on 1788 idov N ov 4 M mr r herbert an I 1 lady mr air pott and lady gen le and la laty ly dine dinel 1 here alth v ith count and the ma ala ch ioness of de bretan in the vestry ordered a levy of sl ISO po ads of toba tobacco co to bp made this size but owing to an increasing congregation it was fou found n d necessary to divide each pew into two wash ington s alone being left as it was on the door of no 5 is a little plate in scribed with a facsimile of washing ton tons s signature the pew Is now used by lawrence washington a great grand nephew of the general and one of the present vestrymen he helias as by the way the first white male child born in the mansion at mount vernon across the aisle from M ashington s pew is no 46 which was owned and used by robert E lee lee was a vestryman of the church at the time the civil war broke out the pew also bears a plate with a facsimile of the owners owner s signature in a little room at the back of the church Is a collection of hymnals prayer books collection purse special and contract tor for the building of the church and other things of in terest it is worth noting that the old prayer book in this collection was published in 1795 to take the place of the one formerly used and to conform with the new practice of invoking t the he blessing of the almighty for the prest dent and members of congress in stead of for the king and members of parliament an old bible in the col lection was one that belonged to washington himself |