Thomson Francis Mason was born into the prestigious Mason family of Virginia in 1785. He was educated at Princeton and became a successful lawyer. He served as a judge, planter, councilman, and mayor of Alexandria. His leadership was marked by efforts to enhance the city’s infrastructure and legal framework.
Early Life and Education
Thomson Francis Mason was born in Gunston Hall, the estate of his grandfather, George Mason IV, a Founding Father of the United States. He was educated at Princeton University, where he graduated in 1804.
Career and Famly Life
After graduating from Princeton, Thomson Francis Mason began a career in law. He was admitted to the bar in 1806 and practiced law in Alexandria. He also served as an Alexandria Court of Common Pleas judge from 1817 to 1825.
Thomson Francis Mason was active in politics in addition to his legal career. He served as a councilman in Alexandria from 1819 to 1823 and as mayor of the city from 1827 to 1830. He was also a delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829.
In 1817, Mason married Elizabeth C. Price of Leesburg. The couple soon began building their summer home, Huntley, which was completed around 1825. Huntley, believed to have been named after a manor in Scotland, provided the family a retreat in the countryside, though it is unknown how frequently it was used.Â
The Masons lived primarily at “Colross,” their grand brick mansion in Alexandria, located in the 1100 block of Oronoco Street. Colross was one of the most sought-after properties in the area, and the Masons purchased it in the 1830s. They made significant improvements to the home, adding rooms and enhancing the property. After Mason died in 1838, he was buried in a tomb behind the mansion. The main house was moved to Princeton, New Jersey, in 1929, but warehouses and commercial buildings now occupy the block in Alexandria.
In addition to Colross, Mason owned several other prominent properties in Alexandria. In the 1820s, he rented a large brick house at 501 Cameron Street, a three-story structure still standing today. Mason also purchased the Hallowell School at 609 Oronoco Street in 1835, though he may have lived there earlier as a tenant. The house is notable for being the former site of Benjamin Hallowell’s school, which Robert E. Lee attended. Another property, located at 115 South St. Asaph Street, was purchased by Mason in 1832, though he had vacated the residence by 1833.
Legacy
Thomson Francis Mason passed away on December 21, 1838. Initially buried in a tomb behind Colross, his remains were later moved to Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery on Wilkes Street in the southwest corner of Old Town Alexandria. His wife, Elizabeth Mason, passed away on May 7, 1873, at the age of 70-71, and is buried alongside her husband in the same family plot. Their legacy lives on through their contributions to Alexandria’s legal and civic landscape and through the preservation of Historic Huntley, still overlooking the valley below.
Thomson Mason’s contributions to the legal system, the city of Alexandria, and the Mason family remain part of his enduring legacy.
| In memory of THOMSON FRANCIS MASON Died Dec. 21, 1838 Aged 53 years. his wife BETSEY CLAPHAM Died May 7, 1873 Aged 71 years. Their infant children ARTHUR and CLAPMAN their daughter MATILDA E RHETT Died Feb 22, 1871 A. CAMPBELL MASON Died April 18, 1888 Aged 18 years I know that my Redeemer liveth. CAROLINE M. MASON youngest daughter of THOMAS F. and BETSEY CLAPMAN MASON Born March 9, 1832 Died January 31, 1919. |
Sources of Information
Jay, W. (2012, September). Thomson Francis Mason and historic Huntley. Retrieved from https://jay.typepad.com/william_jay/2012/09/thomson-francis-mason-and-historic-huntley-.html
Pippenger, W. E. (1992). Tombstone Inscriptions of Alexandria, VA (Volume 3). Family Line Publications. Westminster, Maryland.
Powell, M. G., & Pippenger, W. E. (Indexer). (2000). The History of Old Alexandria, VA, from July 13, 1749 – May 24, 1861. Westminster, Maryland: Willow Bend Books.
The Alexandria Association. (1956). Our Town 1749 – 1865. At Gadsby’s Tavern Alexandria, Virginia. The Dietz Printing Company.
Wrenn, T. (n.d.). Huntley: A Mason family country house (Appendix A). Retrieved from https://clyx.com/books/wrenn/huntley_a_mason_family_country_house/appendix_a.htm
