Stranica 135 [135]
OCR
ey eee ee eee en en eee eee nee ee oe ee His TORIC. GARDENS:\0O GES ViIRBINIA = ek = = —— — ——— oe = es ms zttt 6 hall that we feel we are in a house planned by an artist as a dwelling for people of taste and distinction. The splendid winding stair ascends to the hallway above, terminating in a gallery the shape of an artist’s palette. he banisters of the stairway are of rich mahogany, while on its base board is carved a festoon of magnolia buds and blossoms. An ornate chandelier of bronze suspended in the center of the spiral stairway has gas jets of exquisitely wrought design on each landing, so arranged as to light both upper and lower halls, replacing the original chandelier of prisms and candles. Square and gracefully-arched doorways lead from the hall into the spacious rooms on the first floor, and the doors are of solid mahogany with silver knobs and hinges. One of these is of a very unusual curved design. [he rooms are of beautiful proportion, giving a sense of stateliness and elegance, and contain now many handsome carved mantels of Florentine marble, which take the place of the originals of carved wood. First, one enters a small library, thence into a large drawingroom, through the center music-room into a spacious and imposing dining-room. Running along these three rooms, the outer wall of which makes a sweeping curve at the back of the house, is a beautiful pillared veranda, which opens out onto the old garden. It is, indeed, an unique surprise when visiting this treasure house of objet d’ art and relics of ancient days, to step from the drawingroom onto the portico and find oneself in the midst of a garden. It is true, the small strip of ground on the street front of the house boasting of old evergreens, yews, euonymus, yuccas, on each side of the porch, would suggest plant lovers here as well as builders; nevertheless, one experiences a thrilling surprise on descending the steps at the back into the terraced garden of a century ago, which originally occupied a city block. An archway in the wall enclosing the flower garden led into a paved court where were the outbuildings, thence into the fruit and vegetable garden. Splendid hollys, elms and other trees can still be seen beyond the wall. It is a pity its confines have ever been restricted an inch. [ 82 ]
