ax's death, Robert Adam succeeded to his
place as a town trustee. In 1782, with others from Alexandria, he was
active in founding the Masonic lodge. At the opening of the lodge in
1783, he was elected and served as its first Worshipful Master, along
with Robert McCrea as Senior Warden, Elisha C. Dick as Junior Warden,
William Herbert as Secretary, and William Ramsay as Treasurer. The year
1785 saw the erection of the Alexandria academy and Robert Adam laying
the cornerstone.

Like Adam before him John Hough had only a passing interest in the
property of George William Fairfax. He disposed of two small lots, one
to Benjamin Shreve, a hatter, and one to George Gilpin, the
colonel-to-be. He sold the remainder of lots Nos. 56, 57 and 58,
fronting on Prince Street to John Harper, a sea captain of Philadelphia,
in June 1773 for the munificent sum of L780, with all and every
improvement and all houses, buildings, and so on.

[Illustration: The small parlor, restored. A blending of old and new]

It is possible that Harper occupied George William Fairfax's house, but
it is certain that he let it to Colonel William Lyle of Prince Georges
County, Maryland, in 1782--probably before--and also as late as 1789,
when Lyle returned to Maryland. Tax records show that Lyle was renting
from Harper on Prince Street during this time. In 1782 he was taxed for
"2 whites, 13 blacks, 2 horses, and 12 cattle."[96] He is mentioned
several times in Washington's diaries as being at Mount Vernon, and at
least once Washington came to Alexandria and dined with Colonel Lyle.

For a time Colonel Lyle was associated with Colonel John Fitzgerald in
the shipping trade under the firm name of Lyle & Fitzgerald. During the
Revolution he served on the Alexandria Committee of Safety. From 1783
until his departure to Maryland, Lyle was an active member of the Sun
Fire Company. He owned considerable property in Alexandria. At one time
he determined to build a dwelling house on part of lot No. 57 on the
corner of Prince and Water [now Lee] Streets, which he had purchased
from John Harper, but he sold the lot without fulfilling his intentions.

When peace came in 1783, Captain John Harper, whose real-estate plans
had been deferred by hostilities, began the division of his Fairfax
property into building lots. At amazing speed and increasing prices he
sold off what had formerly been gardens and orchards, and as soon as
George William Fairfax's house was vacated by