| Show Frederiks fredericksburg burg va colonial home of washington s moth mother er and sister will live again its Hi historic fistori stori past az 9 0 V T X 0 kenmore the home of betty washington lewis sister of george washington in fredericksburg it has been restored by a national organization of women and 1 ands obtained from the annual observe ance of garden week in virginia this year will be devoted to the restoration of its gardens by ELMO SCOTT WATSON released by western newspaper union T ERICKSBURG fredericksburg RED VA is to live again its colorful F I 1 past during the week of april 22 to 27 and the center of L attraction in the old colonial town will be kenmore home of betty washington lewis sister of george washington and wife of fielding lewis of the revolution april 22 to 27 is garden week in the old dominion and this year it has a special cance for the receipts from the observance will be devoted to the restoration of the colonial garden at kenmore kanmo re a spot that was dear to george washington and that had the loving care of his mother mary ball washington so during that week colonias colonial Coloni ai costumes worn by the ancestors of the fredericksburg folk will be taken out of old trunks and attics or borrowed from museums to be worn again by the descendants of the men and women who lived there when lafayette was entertained at a great peace ball at rising sun tavern after return from the war in 1783 from ancient recipe books the women of fredericksburg will resurrect the recipes made famous by mary ball washington and 0 others ginger breads tea smithfield hams and a score of other delicacies of colonial days will be cooked for the palates of visitors over the ancient fireplaces of colonial times that abound in the city gen hugh mercers ancient apothecary shop will also come to life again and visitors ma may y use its famous powdering room or procure over its ancient counters the lavender and other herbs as well as the potions and cordials cordiali cor dials that ancient apothecaries dispensed a hundred and fifty years ago birthplace of cincinnati society in rising sun tavern where the society of the cincinnati was formed and where virginias earliest post office was located the tavern keeper and the postmaster will preside over throngs from many states while in the cottage of mary the mother of washington servants will cook and dispense free to visitors those things that mary considered delicacies and for which her recipes are still used on the plantation of kenmore negroes will sing the spirituals of olden days for visitors while uncle bachus will prepare meals in m the kitchen building and visitors will be treated to a colonial reception during the evenings fredericksburg will receive its visitors in costume not only at kenmore but at many other homes of colonial date throughout the city old market square will come to life again as it existed in the days when james monroe 1 george washington and thomas jefferson met here to smoke a pipe and discuss the affairs of the colony in sukey Livings tons coffee shop where over the door will be replaced its famous sign come in gentlemen sit at your ease pay for what you call for and call for what you please masonic fraternities are also preparing an exhibit in the lodge where george washington was made a mason and where his portrait by stuart hangs upon th the ewall wall tic the bible that he kissed in taking hit hii obligations is still preserved another attraction to visitors will be the little cottage on the corner of charles and lewis streets for this was the homi home of mary ball washington fron from march 1775 until august 1789 the property once occupied thi the whole square with orchard and an garden kitchen and servants quarters it was bought by wash ington in september 1772 fron from michael and esther robinson and am was a part of the original ken more estate the garden was wa separated from the kenmore gar den by a fence and gate and am there was a box walk a part of 0 which is still standing at the outbreak of the revola tion washington tried to induce his mother to move in town fron from her home on the Rappa rappahannock hannock opposite fredericksburg but it i was s no not t until march 1775 that tha s she he was persuaded it was here that she received rece ivec the courier sent by general genera Y MARY BALL washington from the disputed painting by middleton washington to tell her of the victory at trenton it was here washington caroe came after the battle of yorktown with the french and american officers and she received him with thanksgiving after his absence of nearly seven years it was here he came in december 1783 fredericksburg gave the peace ball in his honor and it was at that time that lie he made his memorable reply to mayor mcwilliams in which he spoke of fredericksburg as the place eLof of my grov growing irig infancy LaFay ettes tribute it bashere wa was shere here that marquis de lafa lafayette yette came to pay his respects to her who was the mother of the gre greatest adest american she received him in her garden met all his fine phrases with dignity and gave him her blessing when he bade her goodby good bood by he said iq t have seen the only rom roman rn matron atron of my day it was here march 12 1789 that washington came to bid a sad farewell after he had received the notice that he had been elected president of the new nation with prayers and tears mary washington and her son parted knowing they would never meet again ahe she died august 25 1789 town and country assembled to do honor at her burial her remains lie ina spot she I 1 herself selected on the kenmore gestate estate and a stately monument erected by her countrywoman countrywomen country women marks her last resting place but for all such historic sites which fredericksburg has it will not be the only city in the old dominion to attract those who enjoy seeing places where the past still lives more than 80 historic homes and gardens throughout the state will be thrown open to visitors this year among them are eight homes in which once lived virginians who became becam e presidents of the united states rome home of the lees featured in the garden week pilgrimage this year win will be nine estates and shrines under foundation or other public ownership where gardens or grounds have been restored by and at the expense of the garden club of virginia the principal one of these properties is stratford rd in westmoreland county where two si signers agn of the declaration of inde pena pen ence and uen gen ed aid ward lee were born bom here the garden club of virginia has completed the restoration of the lee gardens at a cost of another as important but whose gardens are not L as yet comple completely teV restored although well under way is the thomas jefferson garden at monticello mon near charlottesville the thomas jefferson memorial foundation has restored the house and many out buildings and re furnished with original jefferson pieces this magnificent and distinctive mansion last year the garden club of virginia began the job of restoring the jefferson gardens from plans discovered only recently the outlines of the garden were discovered by archeological archaeological arche investigations and win will occupy the exact location that they did originally jeffersons gardens were distinctive for only native trees shrubs and plants were used other properties for which the garden club of virginia has done restoration include the victorian garden of the manse at staunton birthplace of T woodrow wilson the mary washington monument at fredericksburg over her grave at harrisburg liams burg which will be the center of a celebration this year in honor of its complete restoration the memorial garden at lee chapel in lexington the groups of wilton famous colonial restoration to of tf historical organizations at richmond and the rolfe property in surry county the grounds of which were given gi ven by the he t indian chief powhatan to the san son of his daughter pocahontas and sir john rolfe in colonial times plantation homes other estates to be shown will include the famous james river plantation belt homes extending for more than a hundred miles along the james most recent of these restorations is berkeley birthplace of president william henry harrison seven estates in various sections of virginia never before opened are to be shown this year including an abent elsing green on the one of the most important of the colonial virginia manor 0 r houses and owned bya signer of the declaration of independence twenty one places in r restored williamsburg will be opened to the public the great tobacco plantations of southside South side virginia form another group piedmont virginia is offering a group of boxwood gardens and famous old homes of unusual distinction including the places of president james madison two james monroe homes and two estates in which thomas jefferson spent his life two score other places of great interest several of them nationally famous are to be opened |
