SOLON ROBINSON, 1849 237 



castles were walled in and guarded. From this outside 

 gate a fine carriage road lead through a sort of wide 

 lawn, or woodland pasture, over hill and vale up to the 

 house. The entrance to this was flanked with a long row 

 of brick houses for the servants, and offices of various 

 kinds, that gave it a kind of fortified or guarded appear- 

 ance. Passing between these you entered the great yard 

 and came to the house, not before seen. This is of wood, 

 two low stories high, and built in old style, having a fine 

 view of the Potomac and across into Maryland. Every- 

 thing around wore the air of neatness, taste and comfort, 

 and prosperity. But oh, how melancholly it all looks now. 



As I entered the premises from the "old Alexandria 

 road," coming from the south, I passed through an old 

 dilapidated gate, and along an avenue of brush and 

 briars, grown up where was once fences. On either side 

 lie broad waste fields in part, and part enclosed by a sort 

 of three rail fence and brush fence, until at length I 

 came to the original entrance into the park. Here still 

 stand the lodges, without doors or windows, and there 

 hangs the gate, but there is no use of shutting it, for on 

 either side the frames are all gone, and the once smooth 

 drive up to the house is now full of stones, mud and gul- 

 lies, and it is necessary to leave the old road in places and 

 seek a new track among the trees. 



As we approach the out-posts, we find a part of the 

 roof of the range of out-buildings fallen in, and the way 

 chocked with rubbish and dirty, lazy negroes listlessly 

 hanging about, and inside of the yard, shubbery and 

 flowers no longer require the "notice to visiters" not to 

 touch them, which was once painted upon boards and put 

 up around the yard, but so long ago that the letters like 

 the ancient glory of the house of Washington, are nearly 

 all faded away, and gone with flowers and shrubbery. 



Everything about looks dingy and time-worn and fast 

 decaying, and it made such a melancholy impression upon 

 my mind that I turned about my horses and hastened 

 away as fast as I could drive. 



