Dahlgren, VA Friday April 15
The last two days have not been horrendous but they were certainly not great days. Nothing terrible, just numerous minor disappointments. Thursday the 14th we walked to the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site. This townhouse was the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women and the last home of Mary McLeod Bethune.
Mary McLeod Bethune was the founder of what is now Bethune-Cookman University. The University is home to 2600 students and is located in Daytona Beach FL. Bethune served as an advisor to Presidents Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt, and Truman. She founded the National Council of Negro Women which currently reaches out to four million women through affiliate organizations.
She probably did other things too. I only know the above from doing Internet research. We were unable to gain access to this NPS site. All of the apps, etc. indicated this site should be open Thursday beginning at 9 AM. At 9:30 AM, the outside entry door was open but the inside door was locked. That door had a note telling one to ring the buzzer/entry speaker to gain access. No one answered any of the three rings. No one responded to the knocks on the door. (Lights appeared to be on inside.) Phone calls to the operator went unanswered and the voice mail box was full. Not only that, but the voice mail message mentioned how this site was one of 390 National Park Service sites. Since there are currently 424 NPS sites, this group has some serious organizational issues. We decided to add this site to our list of visitations. We were here at an appropriate time, not our fault they screwed up.
Now we had a hole in our schedule. Rain was forecast for the afternoon so we did not want to go walking great distances. We found the Chinese American museum on 16th St, not far from the Bethune Council House. It was open and greeted visitors warmly. The first floor had a movie about the experience of Chinese immigrants to the U.S. The message I walked away with was that after decades of being ignored and actively discriminated against (think the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which banned the immigration into this country of all Chinese; the act was not repealed until 1943.), things are looking up. As one example, history is finally acknowledging the over whelming role of Chinese labor in building the Transcontinental Railroad. On the third floor was an exhibit about textiles, needlework, and embroidery. The fourth floor had visual art interpretations of the theme ”East meets West”.
Walking back to the hotel, Chris spotted the D.C. public school museum and archives. Named after Charles Sumner, a Massachusetts abolitionist, the museum occupies portions of four floors of the old Charles Sumner School. Built in 1872, it was one of the first public elementary school buildings for African Americans in Washington DC. It was rescued from demolition in the late 1970s, lovingly renovated, and repurposed as the official museum, archives, and repository for artifacts for DC schools. It was pleasant but there is no need for you to add it to your top list of things to see in DC.
The rain held off until we returned to the hotel. In the evening I had another St. Paul related Zoom meeting.
Friday we were off early for visits to two national wildlife refuges and one NPS site, all three well south of DC. Wisely, we chose the George Washington Memorial Parkway as our route. It was relaxing, scenic, and not crowded. As we passed Mount Vernon, we saw over 15 tour buses lined up and a long line waiting to enter Mount Vernon. We continued on to Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. Mason Neck was established in 1969 and was the first wildlife refuge established specifically for the protection of the bald eagle. Mason Neck is the name for the peninsula and Elizabeth Hartwell’s name was added due to her activism to protect this area from development.
We hiked the Woodmarsh Trail out to an overlook with tidal marshes facing the Potomac River. We did not see any bald eagles, but that was not a problem. It just seemed appropriate to visit a place that has been a part of the resurgence of the bald eagle in the United States.
Twenty miles from Mason Neck is Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Only a quarter as large as Mason Neck, we chose this one primarily because it has an auto drive. Our hope was we might spot migratory birds without consuming a large chunk of our time. No luck. Either we did not look closely or the migratory birds have moved on. In any event it was a bust.
On to stop three for the day. George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Before we could get there, we checked Google Maps for the best route. Surprise, there was a crash on I-95 southbound. Our shortest route to stop three was to go back north to Washington, then south through the parts of Maryland we drove Wednesday to reach Thomas Stone NHS, cross over the Potomac on a major but backlogged bridge under construction to Virginia, and then on to George Washington Birthplace National Monument. Two and a half hours.
George Washington Birthplace National Monument is located on Pope’s Creek just as it joins the Potomac River with a grand looking building and a Washington Monument replica.
We made it in time to talk to two rangers, view the video, and enjoy a half hour tour. Major surprising item learnt: The building on the site was not the home where George Washington was born. His actual birth home burned in the late 1700s. We had assumed too much by the name of the NPS site This is the family plantation where he was born-his father actually had three plantations. The exact location of the birth home on this family plantation is not known. The building erected here is typical of the times and the tour focuses heavily on the characteristics of life of a colonial plantation farmer and on Washington family history.
The exact location of the home may not be known but efforts are continuing to pinpoint it. Twice In the past, a brick foundation had been uncovered, examined, and then recovered without definitive answers. Another effort is now underway. Modern underground imaging techniques are working alongside humans with shovels. At first, the monument was placed where the house is now located but as part of the deal to give the property to the Park Service, the monument was moved and the home built in its place.
The Washingtons had been living in this area for over seventy years before George was born. While the Washingtons did well, family fortunes were aided frequently by marriages to daughters of wealthy men. George too was helped in that regard. Also, as the third son of his father, his two older brothers would have inherited the bulk of the family wealth. George was aided by the mentoring, training, and business and social connections provided by an older brother, Lawrence. It was Lawrence who deeded the future Mount Vernon to George after Lawrence, and then his wife, died.
We are staying at a Hampton Inn in Dahlgren, just south of the bridge over the Potomac. We chose it due to its proximity to George Washington’s birthplace and thinking we would be getting here late after our long drive. Now I wish we had planned to push a little farther for tonight’s lodging. Tomorrow, we drive to Dover DE, another two and a half hour drive.
Ed and Chris, Dahlgren VA Saturday April 16
Chris Klejbuk and Ed Heimel travel adventure 
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