The Story of the Washington Coachee and of the Powel Coach which is Now at Mount Vernon

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Neale Publishing Company, 1908 - Carriages and carts - 74 pages
This pamphlet contains a historical argument based on documentary evidence about the relative claims for authenticity between two carriages, each purporting to be the one used by the Washington family in Philadelphia. After Mr. R.L. Brownfield laid the facts before the Regent and Vice-Regents of the Mount Vernon Ladies Association in May 1907, the case was submitted to Professor J. Franklin Jameson, Director Department of Historical Research, Carnegie Institution, Washington, D.C. Jameson rendered his opinion of the arguments in February 1908. Jameson felt "forced to conclude that we have no serious evidence to show that either of these carriages belonged to General Washington, while we also have much to show that the coach now at Mt. Vernon belonged instead to Mrs. Powel."
 

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Page 67 - STATE OF NEW YORK,) County of New York,) ss. : On this day of , 1910, before me personally came to me known and known to me to be the individual described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and he duly acknowledged to me that he executed the same.
Page 25 - So faithfully was it executed that, at the conclusion of this long journey, its builder, who came over with it and settled in Alexandria, was proud to be told by the General that not a nail or screw had failed. It so happened, in a way I need not state, that this coach came into my hands about fifteen years after the death of General Washington.
Page 13 - England, and that are continually getting models over from that country. The coachee is a carriage peculiar, I believe, to America ; the body of it is rather longer than that of a coach, but of the same shape. In the front it is left quite open down to the bottom, and the driver sits on a bench under the roof of the carriage. There aro two seats in it for the passengers, who sit with their faces towards the horses.
Page 25 - Becoming an object of desire to those who delight in relics, I caused it to be taken to pieces and distributed among the admiring friends of Washington who visited my house, and also among a number of female associations for benevolent and religious objects...
Page 36 - Its strongest attractions were the relief ornaments on the pannels, they being painted medallion pictures of playing cupids or naked children. That carriage I afterwards saw, in 1804-5, in my store-yard at New Orleans, where it lay an outcast in the weather ! — the result of a bad speculation in a certain Doctor Young, who had bought it at public sale, took it out to Orleans for sale, and could find none to buy it...
Page 13 - The body of it is rather longer than a coach, but of the same shape. In the front it is left quite open down to the bottom, and the driver sits on a bench under the roof of the carriage. There are two seats in it for passengers, who sit in it with their faces to the horses. The roof is supported by small props which are placed at the corners. On each side of the door, above the panels, it is quite open ; and, to guard against bad weather, there are curtains which let down from the roof and fasten...
Page 13 - ... the horses. The roof is supported by small props, which are placed at the corners. On each side of the doors, above the pannels, it is quite open, and to guard against bad weather there are curtains, which are made to let down from the roof, and fasten to buttons placed for the purpose on the outside. There is also a leathern curtain to hang occasionally between the driver and passengers.
Page 42 - There are good stables, but for twelve horses only, and a coach house, which will hold all my carriages. Speaking of carriages, I have left my coach to receive a thorough repair, by the time I return, which I expect will be before the first of December...
Page 25 - ... and religious objects, which associations, at their fairs and on other occasions, made a large profit by converting the fragments into walking-sticks, picture-frames, and snuff-boxes. About two-thirds of one of the •wheels thus produced one hundred and forty dollars. There can be no doubt but that at its dissolution it yielded more to the cause of charity than it did to its builder at its first erection. Besides other mementos of it, I have in my study, in the form of a sofa, the hind-seat,...
Page 25 - ... fragments into walking-sticks, picture-frames, and snuffboxes. About two-thirds of one of the wheels thus produced one hundred and forty dollars. There can be no doubt that at its dissolution it yielded more to the cause of charity than it cost its builder at its first erection. Besides other mementos of it, I have in my study, in the form of a sofa, the hind seat, on which the general and his lady were wont to sit."* From Mount Vernon, during the recess, Washington wrote several letters to Mr.

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