Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-03-04


~SCRIBNER for March has an Illus
trated paper on 1.-Two Ancient Land
marks" the Knox Mansion, in Maine,
and the CORVALLIS House, in South
Carolina, both now destroyed.
The Knox House stood on the banks
ofthe st. Georges River, in Thomas
ton, near the site of an old fort erected
in colonial times, for defense against
the French and Indians. In the rear
Of the mansion there were several neat
buildings-the stables, the servants
lodge, and the cook house.
beautifully at the waters edge sat
this sumptuous villa" writes the old
historian of the town, 'as it first caught
the eye and struck the lofty mind of
Mrs. Knox" A French nobleman
who was a guest here describes the
mansion as ''a handsome, though not
magnificent structure" But the en-
thuSiastic chronicler hastens to explain
that the Duke brought his ideas of mag
nifcence from degenerate and luxuri-
Gus France.
General Knox took up his abode
here, in 1875, and the family made the
L
ton in sloop. Montpelier" as Mrs.
Knox called her new home in the will
derness, excited the wonder and admi-
ration of the village. The General
owned a vast tract of land in this vi
cinity, which ne wished to settle with
a tenantry, after the English fashion.
To encourage the speedy settlement of
the country, he interested himself in
various kinds of business. He built
ships and saW-inill~, and engaged in
brick making and lime-hurning; he
imported game from Massachusetts,
and new breeds of cattle and sheep
from England. His hostility was un-
bounded, and his house was thronged
with guest, many of whom were dis
tinguished foreigners. Wonderful sto-
ries are told of the grand style of living
in vogue at the mansion. 1t is said
that twenty sheep were often consumed
in a week, aud that oxen were roasted
whole before the immense fre-places;
that the General kept twenty saddle
horses in his stable; and that he had a
road cut for pleasure party to neigh
boring mountain, still iavorite place
for picnics, at the expense of five hum
dred dollars, great sum in those days.
1t is even stated tha he extended his
hospitality so far as to invite the whole
tribe of Peuobscot Indians to make
him visit; and that when these
strange visitors had feasted for weeks
on the Generals bounty, he remarked,
Nov we have had good time, and
you'd better go home" How much of
all this is true, and how much mere
tradition, it is now impossible to deter
mine. But it is certain that the Gen.
eral was very extravagant, and no
doubt the family lived in style which
in those days seemed little short of
princely. Mrs. Knox was naughty
Englishwoman, and had little inter-
course with the towns people, who al
ways called her Lady Knox. She en-
tertained her aristOcratic friends, and
visited them in turn, spending the
winters in Boston, where she was fond
Of risking large sums of money at the
card-table. She was small in person,
but had so stately an affair that people
were opt to think her very tall. Many
anecdotes are told in illustration of
Lady KnoX's pride. One day, says ira
dition, her carriage, the only one in
the village, broke down, and it was
necessary TO dlSmount While some tenn
porary repairs were. made. A kind
hearted woman, who lived near the
scene Of the accident, invited Lady
Knox to take refuge in her house, but
she preferred to stand in the muddy
street. Near the mansion was an an
cient burial ground, and the grave
stones were constant eye-sore to the
pleasure-lOving lady. According to the
village historian quoted above, "they
interrupted her gayety by the unwel-
come thoughts of deatb;" but her hus-
band would not consent to have them
removed. After his death the offend
ing stones were thrown down. Anoth-
er version has it that the deed was
done in the Generals absence from
home, and that when he returned, in
his veXation she tore his hair with
both hands,"