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HISTORIC GARDENS OF VIRGINIA progress. Several of the guests of the preceding day were killed in this battle. The servant bells attached to the windows at Gay Mont deserve mention only as relics of by-gone days. Each room had its bell, rung by means of a cord within, to summon a servant whenever wanted. One wonders how many servants were required and where stationed to catch and locate the sound of these bells, hung into space from any window of the rambling old house. Like many Virginia homes, Gay Mont suttered severely during the War Between the States and the years following, when the labor necessary for its upkeep could not be obtained. But so well had the original plans been carried out and moulded into terraces and other enduring landmarks that today Gay Mont reflects honor on those who planned and those who carried the plans to completion. In the division of the estate, Gay Mont was bought in by Helen Struan Bernard, youngest daughter of John Bernard, who in 1865 was married to Philip Lightfoot Robb, whose children still make it their home. JOHN BERNARD ROBB. [238 |
