National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-23
COL. JOHN HAYS'S House.
A CURIOUS COMBINATION OF BRICK,
STONE. AND SLATE.


Among the numerous fine residences
erected here this season the hOuseis undOubt-
eddy that of Col. John Hay 1t Is situated
Oh the northwest corner Of Seventeenth
and II streets, upon ground which Mr..
COrcOran once owned. 1t Is u curious com
biuution OF massive brick work, carved
stone, aud slate. The bricks used were es.
/ pCCnlly made for IL, aud they are wider
and longer by many inches than those usu-
/ ally used rhcy correspond In size to the
| bricks IN some Of the ruins TT Rome dating
/ back to the DAYS uf the Cpsars, but
! In finish aud beauty they are an
advance upon the best Of the work Of to-
| day. The corners Of the house are rs
smoothly rounded as though cut with the
scuptOr's chisGl, and the chimueys are
made Of numbers Of brick columns us
smooth AZ those Of the Partheuon. The
massive impression conveyed 10y the build
| ing is accomplished Ivy the thickness Of the
walls AMI the many windows cut deeply into
them. The foundation Is of Bereu stone,
! and heavy stone steps, with u stone pOrticO,
| form the cntrauCeway.
| This entrance is ON sixteenth street Wide
! steps lead by several turns to the hig land
| lug In front Of the great brick arch which
| forms the entrance door. Around this land
| ing massive bnlustrade Of solid stone runs.
J
| bricks laid in black mortar, and with the
! trimming OF smaller bricks around its top,
! Ia us smoothly cut MS though finished with
sandpuper. Within 1t u wall Of white
| carved stone faces the visitor aud IN the
/ center of this Is the door. In the sides of
/ this stone wall there are windows which
/ will he filled with stained glass. The door
| itself will I've work Of art and the Gu
| trance will lie an index to the beauty within.
IA . "A nj ha d IL
cent hall as large us good sized parlOr and
more like pnilur than u conventional
| hall. The ceilings aud walls Oi II ARE pam
! clcd aud wniusCOtvd with white mahogany.
| This wood is wood is brought from South
| America, and its beautiful grain takes u
! finish like that Of piano. The wajnsrotng
runs away up above your head where wall
Of terra Gotta red begins aud ends Mt the
ceiling The ceiling is panclcd, great raft
ers ui this white mahogany crossing AMI re-
crossing each other. Some Of these raftcrS
are finely carved. They are supported III the
corners by massive squire coums of ma
| hOgany iutcd in the sha # and ending In
capitals Of delicate traccry.
To the left of this hall are wide aud deep.
cut doors entering the parlur aud library,
aud between them Is u grand oil fireplace,
which will have n muntcl ~ elegantly
| carved wood. Opposite the entrance Il
I.
! could walk up abreast without iostling
rises to the second story. The steps are
! Of easy flight There are three landings,
aud these are reached 10y so gradual
an ascent and are 81 large that they seem
to he part VI the lower hall itself As
| You 90 up stairs this mahogany wainsrOt'
ing continues. Just above the first landing
the right wall Is cut into many windows
through which the light will cast suhducd
! al Il, gHlprnl
the rich furnishings which will unduuht-
cdly occupy II. DUST of the hall there Is 4 lit
tie reception room with a CHEEKY Fireplace.
The parlur Il small, and not half the size
of the library, not nearly So finely finished.
II has ceiling thirteen feet high, Il wide
fireplace. which is to be embraced 10y n
beautiful muntcl aud n wainscoting of pine,
panelcd, which is to be painted white and
| gold. II has windows with large puncs Of
plate. glass looking out upon Lafayette park
aud the white house, and these windows, us
all others In the house, swing inward on
brass hinges us big Us those on the average
front door.
Tue doors from the parlor into the library
slide upon rollers, us do those hy which IT is
entered from the grand central hall. II Ii
an immense room. thirteen feet high, with
many windows looking upon the park and
Sixteenth street, and a curious little round
alcOve of windows. which is made from the
tower at the corner. In its front there Is Il
lOgu somewhat after the style of Venetian
houses. whereby one can walk out on Il lit
tie purtiCo and look out through two round
pillars of rcd brick at the white house.
This portico IL cut into the house rather
than built outside Of 1t, aud Col. Hay ha,
filled the reccsses made in the room by IT,
insertion with windows. The walls anC
ceilings are finished in panels Of old oak
| f,nl 1nmlnF Is
and finished, and then stained with prcpar
alton which gives IL the rich color Of Thu
old English oak. mellOwed by centuries
Great rGftcrs Of this oak form the ceiling
making a network, the meshes Of which ar,
about two feet square. Each OF thes,
mcshcs has a great round disk of oak within
it, aud this Is to be filled, as to its pores
with gold Leaf. 1t will then he brushed of
SO that the gold will only show In the grain
BY night under the brilliant gas light this
against the dark color Of the wood, will pro
duce Il brilliant effect.
The library contains fireplace, as indeed
does every room in the house.
just opposite the fireplace and on the
right us YOU enter is the diuing-rOOm
larger than the state dining-roOm ut the
white house, ana the red mahogany ii
which IL is finished makes il as rich IL room
as IN the palace of any king. 1t is pGuelct
|
panels Of the wainscoting are of blocks d
this precious wood large enough 10 make al
Office desk. The great beams which cross
each other over head look like the rnfter,
of a church roof, and the supports Of these
! along the walls are columns Of mahogany
beautifully carved. Mahogany is every
where.
Al the right of the room there Is grcat
alcOve cut out, MS ii were, in mahogany, and
| l,... Inn
out upon sixteenth street, makes an i'm
mense rectangular bay windOw-a splcndiC
place for tetc-a-tctc dinner or lunch er
famille. The SidchOard will be built IN thI
room, and it will stand JUS opposite thi'
alcovc. between ilutGd columns of ma
hogany.
AT the top Of the grand staircase begin,
another hall which is almost us much like
parlOr rs the one below IT, ON of this ruI
a number of airy chambers, each Of which
has an open CRATE large closet. and II curl
Ously carved mantcl These chambers have
different styles of finishing rs to the walls
The tiles about the CRATES are Of little Roman
mosaic 10 match, and nearly every chamber
has thing of u different color The thirt
floor Is also chambers, all of which have
muntels aud gates. There are twenty
rooms IN the house to say nothing Of MI
merous closets and cuhhy holes Every
available inch Of space has been utilized
and there is set Of panclcd clothes prcssc,
along the wall of the grand hall Of the see
ond Oor. One closet is filled with cases Of
cedar. IT has fifteen cedar drawers each NJ
large as trunk and rs many more shell
eases Of the same swcct-smclling, moth de
stroyng wood.
The house has three bath rooms. One Of
them has its floor tiled with white porcelain
and the same thing runs half way up tho
wall, where II terminates IN oiled terra colts
finish. There is big bathtub in this room
set Of marble wash basins with silver
spigots having hot AMI cold water and +
little bath tub with spigots for hOi
aud cold water, in which to wnsl
the feet. This last is stationary