Beverley Randolph Mason
Encyclopedia
Beverley Randolph Mason (1 September 1834–22 April 1910) was a renowned educator and founder and principal of the Gunston Hall School for young women in Washington, D.C.
Mason was a great-grandson of George Mason
, author of the Virginia Bill of Rights.
in Fairfax County
, Virginia
on 1 September 1834. He was a son of Dr. Richard Chichester Mason
and his wife Lucy Bolling Randolph.
, Mason volunteered as a private
in the Black Horse Cavalry of Fauquier County
, Virginia. Soon afterward, Mason was detailed to act as commissary
sergeant. Mason also efficiently supplied food to his command. He gained a captain's commission in the 4th Virginia Cavalry
, and later a major
's rank as assistant commissary in Fitzhugh Lee
's division, where he was universally beloved and respected. Mason was made quartermaster
in 1864.
in West Point
, New York
. Afterward, he returned Virginia, where in 1875, he married Elizabeth "Bettie" Harrison Nelson of Albemarle County
. Mason then taught as a teacher in mathematics and Latin
at the Norwood Institute.
Mason and his wife relocated to Washington, D.C.
where they both engaged in teaching and founded a school for young ladies known as the Gunston Hall School, named for the homestead
of his great-grandfather George Mason
. Gunston Hall School was located at 3017 O Street, N.W. in a large yellow Georgetown
mansion that was the former residence of Commodore Stephen Cassin
, built in the early 19th century. Mason and his wife opened their school in the mansion in 1893 for their children and the children of their intimate friends. In 1905, Mason moved Gunston Hall School to a Colonial edifice at 1906 Florida Avenue
near 19th and T Streets, N.W.
The Washington Post
hailed Mason's Gunston Hall School as the "foremost among Washington's institutions for the education of girls and young ladies." Gunston Hall School continued as a flourishing boarding school
for young women for 50 years. After its closure, the building housed Epiphany School, an Episcopal
institution. The building is currently the home of the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. Mason's character impressed itself upon his students and his influence among them was widely felt and acknowledged by the students of successive years.
at age 75. His funeral, which took place on Sunday afternoon, 24 April, at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., was largely attended by his friends and pupils. Mason was interred after 24 April 1910 at Ivy Hill Cemetery
in Alexandria
, Virginia. In honor of their eminent comrade, the Robert E. Lee Camp of Confederate Veterans of Alexandria attended his burial in uniform. The Reverend Herbert Scott Smith and the Reverend Samuel A. Wallis conducted his services.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Mason was a great-grandson of George Mason
George Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
, author of the Virginia Bill of Rights.
Early life and education
Mason was born at Okeley ManorOkeley Manor
Okeley Manor was an early 19th-century plantation in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Okeley, the residence of prominent Alexandria physician Richard Chichester Mason , was one of the principal Mason family estates in Northern Virginia...
in Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on 1 September 1834. He was a son of Dr. Richard Chichester Mason
Richard Chichester Mason
Richard Chichester Mason was a prominent physician practicing in Alexandria, Virginia. Mason was a grandson of George Mason and his wife Ann Eilbeck.-Early life and education:...
and his wife Lucy Bolling Randolph.
American Civil War
At the onset of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Mason volunteered as a private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
in the Black Horse Cavalry of Fauquier County
Fauquier County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 55,139 people, 19,842 households, and 15,139 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 21,046 housing units at an average density of 32 per square mile...
, Virginia. Soon afterward, Mason was detailed to act as commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
sergeant. Mason also efficiently supplied food to his command. He gained a captain's commission in the 4th Virginia Cavalry
4th Virginia Cavalry
The 4th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry Regiment was a cavalry regiment raised in Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia....
, and later a major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
's rank as assistant commissary in Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee
Fitzhugh Lee , nephew of Robert E. Lee, was a Confederate cavalry general in the American Civil War, the 40th Governor of Virginia, diplomat, and United States Army general in the Spanish-American War.-Early life:...
's division, where he was universally beloved and respected. Mason was made quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
in 1864.
Educator
A the close of the war, Major Mason engaged in business and as soon as the opportunity presented itself, he took up the profession of teaching. For a period of time after the war, Mason taught at the United States Military AcademyUnited States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located at West Point, New York. The academy sits on scenic high ground overlooking the Hudson River, north of New York City...
in West Point
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Afterward, he returned Virginia, where in 1875, he married Elizabeth "Bettie" Harrison Nelson of Albemarle County
Albemarle County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,236 people, 31,876 households, and 21,070 families residing in the county. The population density was 110 people per square mile . There were 33,720 housing units at an average density of 47 per square mile...
. Mason then taught as a teacher in mathematics and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
at the Norwood Institute.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where they both engaged in teaching and founded a school for young ladies known as the Gunston Hall School, named for the homestead
Gunston Hall
Gunston Hall is an 18th-century Georgian mansion near the Potomac River in Mason Neck, Virginia, United States of America. The house was the home of the United States Founding Father George Mason. It was located at the center of a 5500 acre plantation...
of his great-grandfather George Mason
George Mason
George Mason IV was an American Patriot, statesman and a delegate from Virginia to the U.S. Constitutional Convention...
. Gunston Hall School was located at 3017 O Street, N.W. in a large yellow Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...
mansion that was the former residence of Commodore Stephen Cassin
Stephen Cassin
Stephen Cassin was an officer in the United States Navy.Born in Philadelphia, the son of naval officer John Cassin, Cassin entered the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1800, and served in Philadelphia in the West Indies during the latter part of the Quasi-War with France...
, built in the early 19th century. Mason and his wife opened their school in the mansion in 1893 for their children and the children of their intimate friends. In 1905, Mason moved Gunston Hall School to a Colonial edifice at 1906 Florida Avenue
Florida Avenue (Washington, D.C.)
Florida Avenue is a major street in Washington, D.C. It was originally named Boundary Street, because it formed the northern boundary of Pierre L'Enfant's original plan for the Federal City...
near 19th and T Streets, N.W.
The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
hailed Mason's Gunston Hall School as the "foremost among Washington's institutions for the education of girls and young ladies." Gunston Hall School continued as a flourishing boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for young women for 50 years. After its closure, the building housed Epiphany School, an Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
institution. The building is currently the home of the National Museum of American Jewish Military History. Mason's character impressed itself upon his students and his influence among them was widely felt and acknowledged by the students of successive years.
Marriage and children
Mason married Elizabeth "Bettie" Harrison Nelson, daughter of Keating Lewis Simmons Nelson and his wife Julia Ann Rogers, at St. Stephen's Church on 18 August 1875. The couple had six children:- Richard Nelson MasonRichard Nelson MasonRichard Nelson Mason was a prominent American educator and businessperson in Washington, D.C. Mason was a great-great-grandson of Founding Father of the United States George Mason and his wife Ann Eilbeck.-Early life:...
(26 June 1876–22 November 1940) - Julia Nelson Mason Matthews (23 January 1878–27 December 1964)
- Lucy Randolph Mason Moffett (31 January 1880–1 April 1965)
- Margaret Thornton Mason (7 February 1882–February 1884)
- Mary Wallace Mason Patchin (26 April 1884–28 August 1963)
- Susan Josephine Beverley Mason Easley (17 January 1888–31 July 1962)
Death
Mason died on 22 April 1910 in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at age 75. His funeral, which took place on Sunday afternoon, 24 April, at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., was largely attended by his friends and pupils. Mason was interred after 24 April 1910 at Ivy Hill Cemetery
Ivy Hill Cemetery
Ivy Hill Cemetery is a cemetery in Alexandria, Virginia, United States. Burials began in 1811, and it received a charter as a community cemetery in 1856....
in Alexandria
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
, Virginia. In honor of their eminent comrade, the Robert E. Lee Camp of Confederate Veterans of Alexandria attended his burial in uniform. The Reverend Herbert Scott Smith and the Reverend Samuel A. Wallis conducted his services.