The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-11-04
Cur 0lio.
Ex-Gov. sPRAGUE's VILLA.
The Curious Mansion Overlooking
the Sea Opposite Newport.

Canonchet is woman's fancy, pictured
by gables, turrets, angles, verandas, finals,
blue, brown and gilt Canonchet was the
name of a chief Of the Narragansett tribe
of Indians. 1t was adopted by Mrs. Kate
Chase Sprague for the famous villa that
overlooks the sea opposite Newport
When Kate Chase became Mrs. Sprague
she made the old house her summer home
one year, and then conceived the plan of
making it into villa. Her husband stip-
ulated that the old building should be kept
as to its roof and walls for historic associa-
tions, but gave his wife permission to 60
ahead with her other plans. She built one
tower, and then, to better the proportions,
she built another. She put on piazzas and
extensions. Two more towers were found
necessary to improve the outline. Work
that did not please her was torn down, and
repeated somewhere else. The roof became
a curiosity of angles, resembling mathe-
maticians idea of mountainous country.
Various entrances were made, but no grand
entrance was among them, so that visitor
does not know which is the front door.
The interior was rearranged. Halls were
made to cross-cut each other like galleries
in mine Sixty rooms were provided for,
and after the work was done an architect
was hired to make plan of each floor.
The plans we're framed and hung in con-
spicuous places as indices to the labyrinth.
When the carpenters and plasterers moved
off the grounds colony of Italian fresco
painters moved on. A Boston artist, at
large salary, was engaged to superintend
the designs. A blue room, an imitation of
one in the White House, was made at great
expense. There was one room made for
Chief Justice Chase, most elaborately de-
corated The library on the second floor
cost $4,000. A library on the third floor
was constructed for Mrs. Sprague's own
use. The frescoers were put aside for the
wood carvers Money was spent without
stint. The mistress of the mansion came
back from Europe full of ideas about wood
carving. She brought back an old carved
wood mantel that once filled the room in
the Tu1leries occupied by Marie Antoin-
cite. Black oak carved pictures formed
its facade. Smaller carved mantels were
taken from European castles for the Rhode
Island villa.
A grand staircase was projected. 1t
leads from within the porte cochere to the
top of the tower-its ending being as odd
as its beginning. 1t cost $4,000, but it
does not afford the most convenient means
of reaching the upper stories. A running,
unbroken line of carving extends from the
top to the bottom. The newell is marvel
of carving and polishing. Two polishers
were kept at work two years to give the
staircase the polish that it still retains.
Nothing in New York resembles it in beau
ty. 1t is doubtful whether it can be match
ed in this country. The steps are as smooth
as glass. The stairs wind upward with
such unbroken grandeur that the natural
expectation that they lead to some grand
salon gives way to disappointment at their
abrupt termination in the tower. On the
landing at the second floor there is a wall
hole surrounded with carved oak balus-
trade There is window at each landing,
and in the elaborately engraved plate g lass
there are exquisite little circular paintings
representing Indian scenes, Rhenish land
scapes, ocean views and other designs.
The staircase is uniform in beauty and rich
ness until it ends.
Carved mermaids of polished oak hold
up the shelf of mantel in the dining room
with graceful, plump arms. There is a
sophisticated expression in their faces, re-
sembling that of a Washington belle, while
Bacchus, with his wreath of grape leaves
over his brow, seems to leer at them from
the top of the carved sideboard opposite.
The dining table is also elaborately carved
with "reminiscences of grand feasts, rich in
the products of the field and the vintage.
At each end of the dining hall is an eleva-
ted annex, lined and pillared with oak.
One was almost made of finely engraved
plate glass, through which the stretch Of
the ocean could be seen.
Surprises await the visitor to the house
Up in one tower where nothing is expected
is beautiful little room in Pompeiian red
spangled with gold, where meals for two
were served. On the floor is the room
for a page, whose duty it was to attend at
the door, to keep the cards of visitors neatly
arranged, and keep up a book Of addresses
of Mrs. Sprague's friends Next to this
was the telegraph office, where an operator
was kept in summer months. Where one
would expect to find the parlors is kitch-
en-, with stove that cost $400, and sink
made of red marble A dish room next to
it looked like such an apartment in club
house. 1t contained the most delicate and
transparent china, fine Venetian glass
carafes, the choicest glassware of every de.
scription, and wine glasses of the frailest
sort. Further on, in an odder place, is q
laundry. Everywhere, however, there is
a scarcity of closets, which, had typical
New England housewife been the architect
would have preponderated. The parlors
were never finished. They are not large
and are not well placed. The fresco paint
ings were elaborate, and the walls were hung
with white satin that cost $12 yard.
A sudden turn brings into view a gor
geous apartment, foored with polished
marble, with a dismantled fountain. The
design was Moorish. If a guide had said
"Here the odallsques used to sport anC
bathe,n it would not have seemed strange
for by this time Rhode Island was forgot
ten, and the chimera of architecture re
peatedly suggested the Orient The apart
ment was, however, designed for music
room. Mrs. Sprague intended to have siz
grand pianos there The fresco painters
had outlined beautiful design, illustrating
the chase of butterfly by boys, and it was
partly worked out. When the inancia
crash came they dropped the paint pots
upon the floor, and they remain there
The room is splendid ruin.
There is scarcely picture or painting
in the house. In the daintily- finished blue
and gray room designed for Chief Justice
Chase is an unframed oil portrait of pret
ty blonde girl with her hand on pet dog'l
head. It was that of his daughter by hi
first marriage, who died in chilhood. Tht
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