et, then with a line parallel to King West twenty-two
feet, including a Brick Smoke House, then with a line parallel to
Fairfax north to a four-foot alley lately laid out in the said lott by
William Ramsay, Esq., deceased, then East with the line of the alley 84
feet, then south to Ramsays Alley then West parallel to King until it
reaches Fairfax Street, then with Fairfax and binding there upon to the
beginning and all Buildings, Houses, Yards, Gardens, Stables, to the
said premises belonging or in any wise pertaining. Furthermore Dennis
Ramsay may erect upon the premises a Kitchen in such part as will be
most convenient, and at the expiration of the lease Dennis Ramsay has
Liberty to remove the same from the premises."[68] Ten years later, on
July 6, 1795, William Ramsay Jr. sold this property to Guy Atkinson.
This gentleman owned the property until his death in 1835 and requested
in his will, probated July 14 of that year, that his children reside "in
my present mansion."

This is the house standing today at 113 North Fairfax Street,[Owner:
Miss Frona Matthews.] and unless other research at a later day denies
the assumption that this brick mansion was the last home of the Romulus
of Alexandria, it is so declared.

The little white frame clapboard house with the Dutch roof, standing on
the northeast corner of King and Fairfax Streets was certainly the
property of William Ramsay--probably his office or kitchen, and later
occupied by the descendants of his son, Dennis, after additions and
improvements. The architect who is restoring this ancient and quaint
house thinks that it is far older than the town of Alexandria, and that
it is not now established upon the original foundation, but has been
moved over from another location. It is interesting to think that it
might have been part of Carlyle & Ramsay's original office in Belle
Haven in 1744.

On February 12, 1795, George Washington was at Mount Vernon happily
engaged in planning his garden and planting his shrubs when he "Received
an Invitation to the Funeral of Willm. Ramsay, Esqr., of Alexandria, the
oldest Inhabitt. of the Town; and went up. Walked in a procession as a
free mason, Mr. Ramsay in his life being one, and now buried with the
ceremonies and honors due to one."[69]

A few days later the town's newspaper carried the following tribute:

MEMORIAL

On the 10th, instand departed this Life, in the 69th year of his age,
WILLIAM RAMSAY, Esq.,