osa”
This old plnnlntion in (*rnnvillo
(ouiilv is prohnbl.v our only di-
roc* I iiprilutfo of I lie past so far as
a Washington home is concerned.
By IIAItltY Z. TK kI K
ALTHOUGH descendant- of the
Z\ famous Washington family, of
/
\ Virginia, arc legion in North
Carolina today, Elmosa Plantation i-
probably our only direct heritage of
thu pint in the way of a Washington
home.
Situated on the head water* of the
Tar River, in Granville County, and
almost in sight of the highway, stands
this substantial old Washington home,
built in 1800. The large old mansion
is plain and unpretentious, but dur¬
ably constructed.
Elmosa is set hack from the river,
in n lawn of lienutiful trees and shrub¬
bery, through which wind* the old.
old driveway. It was once the sent of
a large river estate, and was familiarly
known as the ‘’great house" by hun¬
dreds of slaves. Elmosa is an ancient
seat, and has historic significance.
It was in
174!»
that William Wash¬
ington came here from the country
adjacent to the Potomac River and
c-tnMi-hed his home. He i« said to
have been n cousin of General Wash¬
ington. and was an itinerant Baptist
preacher. It i* recorded that be
preached at Shermans M
ее
t i n g
House, near the present town of Berea,
in
174!».
William Washington was one of the
first men of Granville County to take
4
the oath of allegiance to the United
States. He served a» an officer in the
Revolutionary War. and under his
command were his two sons, William
and Robert. 1 1 is youngest son, John
Washington, inherited the old homo
on the river.
John Washington became a very
wealthy citizen. It was for his daugh¬
ter. Rowena, who married Dr. J. L.
Wortham, that he built Elmosa. Dr.
Wortham becamo a great Presby¬
terian, and was active in promoting the
interests of this denomination in sev¬
eral states.
John Washington gave to his
daughter. Rowena Wortham, fifty
Negroes at the time of her marriage.
His grandson, George Washington
Wortham, was a most distinguished
citizen and a lawyer of ability. He wa*
a colonel in the Confederate Army,
and sjienl large sum* of money to
further the cnu«e of the South.
Elmosa, perfect in its simplicity, is
well preserved. The basement of the
dwelling is brick-wnllcd. but the wall*
of the house above the first floor are
of boards. On the inferior are hand-
carved mantels and cornice, and pan¬
eled wainscot, of a different design in
each room.
It is very evident that the original
owners spa re- 1 no expense in the con-
-t ruction and furnishings of this his¬
toric obi home. Every detail of the
building is of the best, and the work¬
man-hip throughout is of the highest
type.
As a matter of fact, there is no ques¬
tion but that our forefathers were
much more particular in building their
home* than we are today. They built
for permanence, ami they succeeded
in doing so, because there are dozens
.»f homes scattered throughout North
Carolina today which are 150 years
old- and even older. The material
was of the beet that could Is* found
and was meant to withstand the rav¬
ages of lime.
During its early history, Elmosa
was one of the outstanding homes in
i lie state and was widely admired be-
eause of its architectural beauty and
its lavish furnishings. It was almost
as much of a show-place in those days
as Billmore is today. Of course, as
you look at the accompanying picture,
you may think that it wasn't much of
a house — when compared with some
of our modern palace* — but it un¬
doubtedly was regarded a* a pre¬
tentions dwelling and a beautiful
home, and it was the scene of ninny
outstanding social functions which
people attended from many miles
around.
We do not know how it received its
name — Elmosa— but it evidently had
-nine family significance. Perhaps it
i* the combination of letters taken
from three or more names of some of
the feminine mem tars of the family.
After Elmosa passed by inheritance
I" the prominent Wortham family, it
beeanio the scene of many outstand¬
ing social activities, to which people
came from many miles around. It was
here that the fox chase was carried
out in accordance with the correct
manner, and it was here that the big
dinners were served after the fox hunt.
The lavish hospitality m. lavishly and
frequently extended at Elmosa made
it the social center fur a wide radius.
Today, as von gaze at the old build¬
ing, holding itself aloof from the
hustle and bustle of modern times,
you «-an almost envision the lively
-••ones that took place there; the
dances, the fox hunt*, the dinner par¬
ti.- and the other social functions.
Today — like an aged old gentleman or
lady— it has only the past on which
to reflect: the future holds little in
store for it.
In the ivy-clad burying ground at
Elmosa sleep the early owners of this
fine old colonial plantation. They
rest in pence beneath chaste slab* of
white marble. It is a significant fact,
incidentally, that all of the old plant¬
ers of the South preferred marble to
nil other stones.
