Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-27
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attention of curious visitors A, secret
perpendicular passage connects the cellar
with the attic, to which secess is given
from the upper story By mar
row staircase, Through the, attic
Is another secret MASSAGE, SO low that per-
son can creep thloughsit only on all -fours.
This Communicates. Eikh the passage to
the cellar. From the cellar along tunnel,
three or four feet in diameter, leads TO the riv-
er, a short distance off, and another Of larger
dimensions makes secret exit in the oppO-
site direction, ant toward what were form
erly woody hills These, except for few
feet at their entrance, are now closed up.
What their design was Is NOT now known.
Mr.. Penn was man lnaneh given TO books
and OF reclusive habits. II Is suggested as
not improbable that in a whimsical mood
be may have had these retreats CONSTRUCTED
through which be might escape annoying
intruders, though that is hardly probable
LANsDowNR, perhaps, of al the h!stori,
cal places included in the park, possesses,
most interest to The general public. This
fine estate contained two hundred acres,
and was established by John Penn, ''the
American" whose nephew, also named
John, built stately mansion here in ITO,
and lived in it daring the Revolutionary
war, struggle in which his isympathies
were by no means with the party that was
finally successful in wrestling from him the
noble State which was his paternal inher-
itance, and of which he was the last Colo
NAL Governor. At the close Of the Reyo-
lHtion this estate was purchased by Mr..
Bingham, grandfather of the late Lord
Ashburton, and it was subsequently, the
residence of Joseph Bonaparte, ex-King
of Spain and Count de SurViiliers.
Lsnsdowne is described by many of the
older residents of Philadelphia as a rega-
place. The.house was spacious and palatial,
the grounds were laid olit in winding walks,
and diversified with open spaces of clean
green-sward, and insignificant groves of
majestic trees. Here and there were large
greenhouses, filed with rare flowers aud
tropical fruits. In the rear of the house
was stable of grand proportions, il which
g numerous stud of. thcrough-breds of i'm
ported stock was kept. at the entrance Of
the grounds were massive iron gates
These were wrought in fanciful designs,
and having been brought from England,
were the wonder of the country round. la
after years, when the land on which they
stood was being mined for material Tor
making brick, the practical foreman Of the
clay diggers had the gates broken up, in or
der that they might more conveniently be
carted away and converted to other uses.
1t is to be regretted that the Park Commits
sioners did not sooner obtain possession Of
the gproperty, that such a dissertation
Y1NiOi1f haua haap r1rauau+aA -
baildings of Lansdowne were destroyed by
fire, communicated from the cigar of a
careless smoker at fourth of July picnic
held on the grounds few years ago.
BELMONT MANSION, like most Of the
buildings in the park, is of very ancient
date, having probably been erected about
1745. This was the home Of Richard Pc
ters-poet, puDster, patriot, and juist-
during the whole of bis long life. He was
Secretary of the Board of War during the
Revolution, Representative in Congress
subsequently, and Judge, Of the United
States District Court for nearly half his
life, Brilliant as have been the assemblAges
of distinguished guests at many of tie hos
pitable country seats now included within
the bounds of Paramount Park, tue as
sociations connected with Belmont
Mansion oushine all the rest.
Judge Peters hospitality was prover5ial,
and was enjoyed by many distinguished
personages, among whom was Gen. Wash.
ington, who set Out q chestnut tree on the
place, which, with line of fine hemlocks,
planted nearly century ana quarter ago,
and many Of them covered win Ivy, -four
ished until recently. Many Of the hem
locks are still standing. Franklin was a
frequent visitor; so were Rittenh6use the
astronomer, Bertram the eminent bOtanist,
Robert Morris, Jefferson, LafayeSte-Of
whom a memento still remains in the
shape Of white walnut trse planted by
his hand in 1924. 1t was at this mansion
that Gen. Washington stated to an assem-
blage of the patriots of that day that
the treasury was empty and the soldiers
dispiTited, aud that unless money could be
raised and that speedily, the cause of
independence would be lost. Among those
present was Robert Morris, who pledged
himself to raise two millions of dollars,
and he did it by sacrificing bis private prop
erty. The contest was renewed and fought
out and independence won. The arms Of
the family may yet be seen in the Waius-
coted principal room Of the old mansion,
anu Va OllO VI lLlO " Al4ACHo - - zOOO-OlC
which some departing guest Of the last cen
tury cut with diamond. Under the D8uk
of Belmont and nestled clos9 10 the river is
the piainest kind If q plain story-al1 e
half cottage, which is said TO have boen tie
residence of Tom Moore, the Irish poet,
while in this country in 1904. Il is Of all
places along the river the most pFosiac, and
such as one would scarcely think could pos
sess attraction for 2 poet. OF it, however,
he sings:
-"While winged the hours
Where Sehuylkiu winds his way through banks
of flowers,
Though few the days, the happy evenin gs few,
SO warm with heart, 50 rich with wind they
flew. h-.---. &C.
That my charmed soul forgot its wish to roam"
GEORGES HILL AND THE CENTENNIAL
a.. EXHIBITION.
It seems proper that this sketch OF the
historical places In Paramount Park should
DO supplemented with a notice Of one other
point likely to ibecome famous in future
history, and which is at present the most
popular of all the resorts in the park fer
eqUestrians aud driving parties Georges
Hill, from the summit of which there is a
beautiful view Of the city and the surround
ing scenery, being two hundred aud ten
feet above high tide. This tract. contain
ing eighty-three acres, was presented 10 the
city by Jesse and Rebecca George. In a
paper accompanying the deed of gift, Ir.
George stated thst the property had been
the home of their ancestors for many gene
rations, and from the first settlement of the
country has retained many of It's original
features. With view of preserving it to
their memory very much in the
same rural condition as when they
occupied it, they gave it 10 the city
to be forever kept for park purposes. The
brow of the hill is SuTmounted by plat
eau which has been laid out for "con-
course" In the centre Of it a beautiful
summer house has been erected, and other
adornments of rare flowers and shrubs give
it an attractive appearance. Bua j. was the
purpose more particularly to direct atten
ton to the fact that in the broad meadow
which lies at the visitors feet as be stand;
| on Georges Hill, looking eastward, it is
proposed to hold the grand Cente nnial Elk
hibition during the centenary year Of Amer
| lean Independence. Philadelphia proposes
a building to cover fifty acres Of ground, il
| which to exhibit articles from all the civil
ised nations of the world. The building
used by the London Exhibitionof 1852 GOV
cred only twenty-fOuT and a half acres
while that used foI the Paris Exposition d
1897 covered EhrtV-Uina aclPs. philafel