The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-06-03
Fernando Wood at Home.
George Alfred Townsend in Graphic.

l
! George Alfred Townsend in Graphic
| On the Broadway Bloomingdae or Grand
| Boulevard-the old stage road to Albany mag
niticenty elaborated, graded and widened-
stands at Seventy-siXth street the villa and
| park of "Woodawn." Anybody can denote II
without Questioning; for it is probably the
! most valuable piece of ground III the New
| World, occupied exclusively for residence pur-
| poses. Zen acres in extent, overlooking The
| hudson and the opposite heights of Weehaw-
| KEN with the new Riverside Park making 81
| strip Just behind it, and the Central Park few
rods from the front gate, it is of all gentlemen
villas the most urban. In the year lslN, when
comparatively poor man, Fernando Woud
purchased this piece of ground from Mrs Ne
Carty, an heir of the great Dutch Somrrindv kr
estate of 100 acres, for the sum of $500, uf
which $4 900 remained on mortgage. Mr.. " cod
has refused S950,000 for it within three wears.
1t contains 100 building lots has two city blocks
of front, and Il street is opened to the great
main gate and stops there; the lawn has been
filled and given undulations to conform 10 the
new boulevard grades, and walks and drives
are drawn throughout picture&quely; gllded
summerhouse is on the front lawn; helVrderr
in the rear oyerooks the Hudson; large willow
and maple trees shade the slopes, ana Il mou-
Ster locust Is on the parapet Of the river line.
Before the old part Of the dwelling, built ante
flOf 10 the Revolution, the tree which
stood there when General Iiowe'> chief Of stan
used the old frame residence tor an office while
I1oWc himself WIS 'iuiGteret III ti1t ' anu l-
howell mansion attarward Burnham's. neNt
above and still Standing erect but weather
beaten. This was in the time OF Wa~hmgtoh'-
evacuation OF New FORK.
When Fernando Wood came here to dwell he
was q young shipping merchant thirty>iN year
of age, who had already been in Congress
Leaving Wasl ngton City with only a few hun
dred dollars he plunged into the West India amt
California trade, and as early ~ 800 retired
from business. Thenceforward politics and
lSf nj DllEf Il
married and is the father of eleven living chill
dren. In 1854 the old Dutch dwelling, with il
ciapboard and low ceiling, was changed in al-
pearance, though not in fact, by the addition o.;
yerander screen and Gothic dormcr. whii-
series of additions and projections in frame
We're added, giving Il front of seventy-HNe tc'i.
and the whole wpS painted tasteful yellow
color, showing very effectively against the Scrtl
ure Of the surrounding lawn The result Is an
elegant, though not preSuming, GOthiciIod villa,
with Swiss caves and carved pendants, present
ing several gables to the view. A naInihctla
brick stable stands in depression To the north
OF the house; wall of EeWn sandstone backed
by trimmed hedge surrounds WuOlltNu-
rural lane leads up to the front gate, and thr
gate-poStS are ornamcnted with large .a--tdui~.
Here the Prince of Wales was Splendidly rnt,r-
tanned in 1860, and Prince jerome Napoleon
Bonaparte and ClothiIde in lS6l
The interior of thi, dwelling j. quaint ul
inviting A large tiled hall n the center With
broad stairway and a series of portals, Icad~
to all parts of the mcandermg house lltrrn
l. large copy of one of the old na>icr~, rri'-
resenting Christ disputng with the doctors
The door under the stairs Leads IT, the imn-
room, which has the entire height anil content.
OF one wing, and is panelcd 10 the eIEct, Hui
the strlng-peces and beams are lrtt open Ill., Is
monklsh refectOry or Il miniature Nc-unm-'
Hail. Here is Il portrait of the late .l,-yph
Richardson, of Auburn father of Mr., W ppU
first wife; he was Il lncal descendant ri " 4.
liam Penn, through Penn'> daughter l4t',.