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Historic GARDENS OF VIRGINIA
used in Indian days. It also has its secret room, the entrance to
which was discovered during the War Between the States by a
party of Federal soldiers. In this room the soldiers found a score
or more half-gallon bottles of old brandy. To this day, one
of these curious old decanters remains intact, and is highly prized
by a family of Petersburg, Virginia. Cut deeply into the bottle
is the name of William Allen, and the year 1753.
Each President of the United States prior to the time of the War
Between the States is said to have been a guest at the old Allen
house, and Edgar Allan Poe, whom tradition claims as a frequent
visitor, is believed to have found inspiration for some of his beauti¬
ful poems while wandering in the historic gardens of old Claremont.
The Manor stands in a park of ten acres, where one sees an
intermingling of beauty and age. The lofty and aged oaks, the .
glorious crepe myrtles, and the wide spreading boxwood hedges
testify to a growth of centuries. The driveway approach to the
old home, after passing between the huge, moss-covered gate piers,
swings around in curve after curve in a friendly way. Converging
from this driveway are the avenues of lindens and cedars.
Beauty in the park and its gardens was a tradition. Among
the members of the Allen family, who continued to interest them¬
selves in adding to the attractiveness of the grounds, were Arthur
Allen, who, in 1688, became Speaker of the House of Burgesses;
Colonel William Allen, who, one hundred years later, was a member
of the convention of 1788; and his son, Colonel William Allen,
Junior, who was a colonel in the War of 1812. Generation after
generation, during two centuries and a quarter, continued the work
thus early begun. Rare trees from foreign countries were later
brought to Claremont. Today artistic groupings are seen, and
charming color schemes changing with the seasons, but everywhere
there is a quiet dignity and a gentle elegance.
The river approach to this old Queen Anne dwelling is by way
of a wide avenue of linden trees, which extends from the river
terrace to the driveway at the foot of the steep terrace upon which
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