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"Bushfield Sunset" by Paul McGehee. This is a beautifully peaceful scene of the historic Bushfield mansion, bathed in the rosy glow of the setting sun at the end of a summer's day. Bushfield, located on the banks of Buckner Creek near the Potomac River in Virginia's Westmoreland County, was originally built in the early 1700's. It was the home of Col. John Bushrod and his wife Hannah, later linked by marriage to both the Washington and Lee families. A grandchild of theirs, named Hannah Bushrod, married George Washington's younger brother John Augustine Washington. Their son Corbin married Hannah Lee, of the Stratford Hall Lees. Her nephew Henry "Lighthorse Harry" Lee III was the father of Robert E. Lee. John and Hannah's son Bushrod, born at Bushfield in 1762, later became one of the early Justices of the Supreme Court, being confirmed in 1799 at the age of 36. John and Hannah lived together for many years at the stately Bushfield. George Washington frequently visited his brother at the mansion, just a short boat-ride down the Potomac River from his riverfront estate Mount Vernon (which Bushfield resembles architecturally.) As fate would have it, after George and Martha Washington died, their estate Mount Vernon was willed to George's favorite nephew, Bushrod. Bushrod and his wife Anne lived at Mount Vernon until they both died (within days of each other) in 1829. They were buried on the grounds of Mount Vernon, which was also the final resting place of George and Martha. As years went by, records regarding the Bushfield mansion are spotty. There is an historical reference to Bushfield having been one of several Potomac River mansions damaged by the British during the War of 1812. Through a succession of different owners, Bushfield underwent several structural changes and expansions throughout the 19th century, with an extensive renovation taking place in 1916. Today, the Bushfield Manor (as it is now known) is on the National Historic Register. It is a beautiful sight to behold, dramatically situated the banks of Buckner Creek, near the placid waters of Nomini Bay and the Potomac River. Bushfield Manor is now a popular venue for events such as weddings and other celebrations. Blending the present with the past, Bushfield is truly living history...a glimpse of elegance from an era we will never see again. "Bushfield Sunset" is faithfully reproduced as an archival-quality print from McGehee's original color pencil drawing, each hand-signed by the artist. Edition size 500 S/N. Print image size: 10 1/2" x 13 1/4".
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