n, "moved on to the house which had been procured for his
accomodation."[186]

And so we arrive at the home of Mrs. Thomas Lawrason, the most elegant
house of its day and time in Alexandria, lent by this charming Irish
lady to the great Frenchman, thereby endowing it with imperishable fame
as the La Fayette house.

On August 5, 1779, the executors of John Alexander sold to Thomas
Wilkinson "a half acre lott lying and being upon the South side of Duke
Street and the West Side of St. Asaph Street and described by the number
175," the ground rent of which was L14 _10s_. In September 1795, William
Thornton Alexander, one of the heirs of John Alexander, released
Benjamin Shreve and James Lawrason from this ground rent upon the
payment of the sum of L300, and in this indenture of September 14, the
fact is cited that this was the property sold by Thomas Wilkinson and
that Shreve and Lawrason divided the property.

[Illustration: The hall]

On September 27, 1819, in an indenture between James Lawrason and Alice,
his wife, and Elizabeth Lawrason, widow of Thomas Lawrason, son of the
said James, lately deceased, and their five children, the fact is cited
that Thomas Lawrason bought for five hundred dollars the lot at the
intersection of St. Asaph and Duke Streets, described as running "West
on Duke 120 feet to an alley 6 feet wide 10 inches to be held in common
with the heirs of Benjamin Shreve, thence on said alley South 55 feet,
thence East, parallel to Duke 120 feet to St. Asaph and thence on St.
Asaph North to the beginning." This same document further described that
"the said Thomas entered on said lott and erected thereon a three story
brick tenement and other buildings and improvements and afterwards
departed this life intestate without having received a deed for the
same," which deed James was at this time executing, conveying this
property to his son's widow and orphans.

The three-story brick tenement, built by Thomas Lawrason for his young
wife, is one of the important federal houses in this ancient seaport.
High upon the roof a white railing incloses the "Captain's Walk" from
which point of vantage the Fowle & Lawrason ships could be sighted far
down the Potomac. The doorway is the outstanding feature of the house.
The fanlight over the door is a true fan in shape and design, and the
lunettes on each side of the double doors are unique. The interior of
the mansion is commodious and comfortable with well proportio