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"In 1802, most people
lived in log homes. This house is la Crème de la Crème of
architectural masterpieces. It is one of the greatest
Palladian houses in the United States. It is the equivalent of a
great house in Ireland or Britain."
- Brenda Barrett, National Park
Service
With
its remarkable forecourt and balanced accessories, the Meason
Mansion is the Grandest image of domestic architecture of the
18th century still remaining west of the Allegheny
Mountains. It is magnificently sited along the rolling
hills at the foot of one of the brooding ridges of the
Alleghenies.
The
land upon which Isaac Meason built this mansion originally was
that of Christopher Gist - George Washington's trusted scout and
guide - who, in 1753, had established the first permanent
English settlement in this new western frontier. The
estate, also called Mt. Braddock, is the site of General Edward
Braddock's encampment in 1755 while en route to Fort Duquesne
where he issued his last orders before dying after the battle.
Isaac Meason was born
August 15, 1743 in Virginia - he died January 25, 1818. He
earned his rank as "Colonel" while serving in the
Continental Army in the final years of the Revolutionary War.
Meason's wife,
Catherine Harrison, was a member of the same family which later
gave two presidents of the United States government. She
and Isaac had five children - Thomas, Elizabeth, Isaac Jr., Mary
and George.
Meason was a descendant
of the Mason family. His great-great-grandfather, Lt.
Francis Mason, was the first to arrive in the U.S. in Virginia
in 1613. He was the first person with the name of Mason in
America. Isaac was the fourth generation. In 1799,
Meason was one of the richest men in the Northeast.
"The Meason
House should have been set aside long ago through public or
private initiative for its superb architectural qualities and
the historical association of its neighborhood with Braddock,
Washington and Gist."
- Charles M. Stotz, Early Architecture of
Western PA, 1936.
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