New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-08-02

A correspondent of the Cincinnati Gazette
writes as follows of the home of Major Ben
Perley Poore at Newburyport, Massacbu.
setts: This homestead Of the majors com.
prises about four hundred acres, a portion
of which is under fine cultivation. This
land was granted to one John PoOre. No.
vember 20, 1850, by the selectmen of New.
bury, because ''he was so remote from meet
ing, i" and it has remained in the family ever
since-Ben Perley POore belonging TO the
seventh generation which has inhabited the
property.
The picturesque, original family mansion,
built in 1850. is curiosity in itself, but has
time that almost every style of architecture
for two centuries is discernible in it's sur
roundings. There are old stone towers and
turrets Overrun with ivy, looking like relics
of old feudal castles. A clock tower and
dial face the driveway, and colossal statue
of an Indian-perhaps Great Tom," the
aboriginal Owner-stands in a bower on tho
smoothly shaver lawn, just opposite the
doors of the mansion. From the summit of
the hill, some 300 feet above the river, a
magnificent view is afforded of the ocean on
the east and of all the pretty New England
villages of white houses netting in the
green for thirty miles around.
On this hill is erected an observatory, as
sisting one in discovering, all the loneliness
spread out for miles around. The original
domicile has diamond paned windows in
old metallic easements; the walls are COW
cred with ancestral portraits, ancient
armOr, and weapons of every kind known
to the civilized or barbarOus world. sup
pose no older furniture exists in present
able shape anywhere else in the country
thanxis found within these walls Four
rooms have been devoted to articles CEN
fury or more old, and are called the "Con-
tinental Rooms" They comprise a parlor,
sitting room, bedroom and kitchen, fur
nisbed in the "old colony times" style.
The panelling came from the old Province
old Tracey House, where Washington and
Lafayette slept; and andirons, pewter
dishes, the china, the roasting jack, spin
ming wheel, huge old fashioned freplaces,
bed room furniture, everything, in fact,
in these four rooms is fully 100 years old.
On the stairway hang powder horns and
firearms which saw service during the
trying times. Of the revolution, and the
drum which led the brave troops to Bunker
Hill from Newbury Green. Then the
major has q printing press upon which
Benjamin Franklin tried his prentice hand
1t is kept in an attic furnished as COM
plete printing office.
His writing desk once belonged to John
Quincy Adams. when he was first elected
to Congress. He has pictures or autographs
of every French ruler from 1898 to the pres
ent time, and portraits of all the Presidents
and Vice Presidents of the United States,
and of nearly every member of Congress
since our republic again; he has the names
of all the signers of the Declaration of In
dependence, and autograph letters from
nearly every distinguished man in the
country; he has also specimen plates from
the White House, illustrating the term
of every Presidential incumbent. His
amount Of family silver is almost princely
in quantity and elegance. His stock is Of
the finest breeds, and his farm is in every
way exemplary.
No wonder Charles Sumner found in Ma
jor Poore his most intimate friend and COM
panion. One can imagine the curiosity
loving statesman cOntentedly luxuriating
amid all this collection of rare and priceless
relics. The major married Georgetown
lady, and has his winter residence in that
ancient and eminently aristocratic burg,
and his summers are always spent at his
beautiful New England home by the sound
ing sea. Indian Hill is so famous in Massa-
chusetts that every stranger within travel
ing distance is taken TO see this museum.