The daily gazette., 1879-02-14
OLD WYE HALL.
NARYLAHD's MOST NOTABLE BUILDING
AND THE FAMILY THAT OWNED IT.

Pacas. On Sunday the islanders of the
Wye learned that Mrs. Mariana Eden
Paca, a noted woman of her race. had
just died, and on Monday they saw Wye
Hall, the twin mansion of the White
House at Washington, and the most
notable building in all Maryland, burn to
the ground, with its stores of relics and
rare mementCes of the p.tt. Henry
Winter Davis used to say that, apart from
the CAROLS, the Pacas were the most in
teresting family IN Maryland. The family
is now almost extinct.
! Governor William Paca, of Wye Hall,
Hartford county, first brought the family
Into prominence. He was born in l74O,
crossed to London, studied at the Middle
Temple, was a hot opponent of George
Ill, delegate to Congress, a signer of
tie Declai alton, the husband OF Chew,
Governor of Maryland, and what not
Governor William one day sent his eldest
son, John, down the Chesapeake on a
cruise, with orders to buy an island
John rounded Kent Island, and sailed D
dancing, low-banked river, which lie
called the Wye. The Wye runs up into
Queen Anne $ county, on the eastern
shore of the Chesapeake for few miles,
and branches off into creeks, one of
which is now icelocked at the foot of this
old town. Not far from the mouth of
this river John came upon the island that
he wanted. This low, wel-wooded little
bit of sea land, shaped like dolphin,
and containing 2,7OO acres, was selec, ed
and named Wye Island. John asked of
his father, then Judge of the United
States District Court for Maryland, $fO,-
600 with which TO build a maIson that
should be called Wye Hall, and become
the centre OF the Paca domain. The
money was freely given-this was in
l791-and when John cast about him for
a design he learned that mansion to be
called the "White House," was soon to
be erected at the new capital of the re-
public, the city of Washington. He ac-
cordingly sailed to Baltimore, and there
met the architect who had planned the
original design of the Capitol. The
architect copied the design for the White
House and upon these plans Wye Hall
was built on the south end of the five
mile-long island.
! The house had in its front long, broad
lawn running northward down sloping
bank to the river. The building was in
three parts--a large centre structure of
two stories, with wings on the east
and west, connected by long hall. The
main building contained a large drawing
room, which extended its entire width,
with doors opening on the north and
south into large porticos, the gable roofs
Of which were supported by massive col
umns OF brick, covered with mortar re-
senbling stone. Over the main building
were chambers for the family aud on
either de of tie drawing room were
chambers generally devoted to the guests.
In the rear of the mansion extended
another lawn-the south lawn-embel-
lished with shrubbery. Approaching
| from the north the visitor passed up high
steps to portico, along which extended
Doric columns. A wide double doorway
opened into the hall. Standing in one
end of the hall, an adult at the other end
| looked like boy. Opposite the hall
door was that of the drawing-room, the
place of gathering for the family and
guests. John Paca furnished the house
i'll the most costly style. The drawing
room had six windows, and each was
draped with 1000 curtain. Upon the
walls were mirrors SO large that they
were great clIrtosities i'll that day. Over
the mantelpiece that surmounted the
fireplace hung ife-size portrait of
Vim. Paca, copies of which are now in
Independence Hall, Philadelphia, and at
the Annapolis State House. On the
walls were many other portraits of the
Pacas, Chews, Lloyds and other mtn NJ
beers of the family. Upon occasions the
drawing-room became ballroom, and
over the polished floor the minuet was
walked as ii was nowhere else in Mary
land.
When John Paca, after a good long
life and useful one, too, for he cultivated
his land Ourning the 2,700 acres into
rich wheat fields and sending the first
expectation of bread stufis from the
United States to England), at last died,
his son, William Il. Paca, fell heir to the
estate. William b. Paca had three sons,
John p, Chew and James Phillips--
both of The latter weak-minded. And
so the family lived up to and through
the war, being ardent Unionists.
| William Is. Paca lived at Wave Hill
| when the spring of 1875 opened, his sons
having grown to manhood. On the main.
land lived Mrs. Mariana 4. Paca,
widow of Williams younger brother
Edward Tilghman Paca, and her son
John, and brother, Albert Jones, both
remembered now rs manly youngfellows.
On the morning OF the 9Th t March 1865
John and Albert were leaning against q
fence by the roadside when William B.
and his sons came riding by. William
b., who seems to have been OF overbear-
ing manners,spoke harsLly to his nephew
bidding him leap the fence and approach
his horse. The uncle f1ourished riding
whip, and John feared that IT would be
drawn across his shoulders should he
obey. He therefore stood by the fence
ana laughed. The two younger soM of
William Is. Paca, Chew and James, had
their ducking guns across their saddles.
As soon as they saw the laugh they un-
strapped the guns.
| 'I'll take john" said Chew.
"I'll take Albert" replied James.
John and Albert turned to run, but tho
aim OF the imbeciles were perfect. John
and Albert fell dead in their tracks.
| William b. and his son, John F., were
tried at the May term of the Talbot cour-
ty Court, in 1865, ana found guilty. The
imbeciles had done the shooting. Chew
and James were tried at the May term
of the Carolina County Court, and ac-
quilted. They were imbeciles, and If the
killing were murder, then the father,
William b., and the sound-minded son,
John p, were responsible for It. So there
was no one punished tor the crime.
Shortly after his acquit al, the news
papers announced that "Willlam H..
- had ts..