The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-06
IN DAYS OF OLD.
"REMINISCENCES ~ A LONG FORGOTTEN
OLD RICHMOND LANDMARK.
sARLY DAYS or THE JAMES
RIVER AND EAyA VIA CANAL
Its Towpath the Tsshionabls Walk.

ihe old family mansion q The Gamble.
and tie Cabelis on Candles Hill We
propose IOw % resurrect one, 81 which
feE persons noH- living know much. Re
cause IL vas destroyed ly IRE more
than thirty years ago. Even in ii'
pristine glory Do was - remote from
the centre % the town that il might hs
accounted ont 10 the country. Within
The memory % some men living. snf
when occupied GDd kept up. visit on
foot to- Beividere would have been con
sidered quite o long walk. This beauii
ful place occupied part Of what Is now
vulgarly and appropriately called or.
EXON HIN. We Use these words hecauss
10 vas 80 entirely ont Of taste 90 ihvt
selected such name for q situation
made 20 attractive bv its natural beau.
iie- II was an unhsppy coincidence
that the people Of Richmond should first
have gone % q remote territory on the
Pacific Ocean for one name. and then
away down into South America for sn-
oihe-. both of which are 20 inapprOpri-
ate go che localities they describe Why
should their most beautiful park be called
after the extinct volcano on another con-
iinelf when 2 name might have been, 20.
ten nearer home. not only more eurA0-
Dious iuf eo much more suggestive
The name Beividere. meaning beautiful
Fiew was -iu-ularly appropriate 10 the
location occupied by the man zion 70
which we now refer u stood on The
brow NJ fhe bib 80 The southern end 0f
Belg.defe street. overlooking The SAME
landscape seen from Gamble Hill j.
was originality quarter established hy
Colonel William Byrd fle founder 0f
Richmond and WHO an one time owned
most N The land iu this region This
word quarter had no arithmeiical siguil-
cation as did The word Hundred. during
colonial times The former was merely
a seiilement of negro slaves in cabins
upon q new plantation, generally re-
mote from their owners place ~ resi-
dence The other was supposed % de-
fermne The comparative number ~ im-
migrant settlers who were 10 occupy
certain body ~ land ~ 70 many acre.
and described by a particular name
Bermuda Hundreds. 10 Chesterfield
county. and Fiower-dew Hundred .n
Prince George county. both on james
river. afford examples of the latter
Colonel Byrd residing then al West
over. established this settlement near bis
pes TIE new town Of Richmond. Whether
Do ever erected q dwelling on the place
does nor appear Within the memory ST
people now living a large. ansi0craiic-
looking mansion occupied a spot now o.
be- Identified near The intersection OF
Beividere and High streets. on the north
f Wesi corner in establishing a system
of uniform grades for the streets Of mod
efu construction many high plateals have
been necessarily degraded to the
common level At the point 90
which we now refer this necessity
has leit on the western side Of Beigi-
deFe street bat small part
Of the land upon which the old house
stood NOt a yestigc Of il remains il
was built of wood, having an imposing
'front.' adorned by pOricO and q wing
on either side The usual Out-hOuses
kitchen. sin0ke-hOuse, and servants
houses, formed picturesque grouping
in the midst Of extensive grounds These
including garden and paddock. extended
from the eastern slope towards the curve
of the canal. 10 Havies woods, now H0l-
lywJ0d Cemetery. on the wes- Towards
NaaN NAHNA NAN. ANlA|A AfIA NM 4M r4aWAN N|A"
races remains OF which are % be seen az
this day. The premises Immediately 10
rear and IN the side of the dwelling were
enclosed by a seFpentine brick wall OF
only a half brick in thickness, bar about
eight or ten feet ia height Bricks were
scarce in those DAYS This was. there
fore. a cheap but substantial wall ID
was built in q series 0f reversed curves
along a straight line, producing thereby
rather unique and striking effect. and al
though presenting 10 the eye frail and
uncertain appearance. 10 withstood time
and accident f0r years after the mansion
itself had been destroyed
The approach 10 Belyilere was along
q country highway leading from
what j. bow west Cary street oyer
Commons and vacant fields now
densely occupied by dwelling houses
and handsome churches A wa-
common 90 nearly all the more pre-
tenii0us country dwellings in Virginia
an avenue on trees OYcrshadOWed the
road leading Immediately up TO the man
sion itself From this approach the
place with is long white front. rs p0r
tic0. gable roof and wings. presented 90
the beholdef quite al imposing appear
ance. We cannot say with certainty by .
whom this house was built, but the place .
was owned and occupied before the year
1911 by Colonel Edwin JacQuelin Haryic,
father OF the late Lewis T. Hargie. OF
Amelia county. and Of Dr. John b
Hafyie, ~ POwhaiau county Colonel
Iaryie wss In the Theatre which stood .
on The site OF the Monumental Church
and unfortunately persisted wiki many
other prominent citizens OF Viz
ginia. when, on the memorable
night Of the Goth December 1911.
Is was destroyed by ire After the
death of Colonel Haryie his widow
and family left Richmond 20 reside in
the country. Belyidere late the abode
OF happiness and hospitality, was nov ieit
silent and solitary until 10 was occupied
by Mr. Richard Glass, Well-knOwn cap
itaiist and business man, and Mrs Har-
riet liackley, name we'll remembered ia
Richmond % this day by her own de-
scendants and those OF her pupils Mrs
Hhckley was for many years a teacher of
young ladies' Her pupils were generally
from the higher class Of people who
were willing 10 trust their daughters 20
the care OF one who not only was capa-
bic Of .training and informing their
minds. but who By the dignity Of her
manners and refinement Of person, af-
forded them an example of what should
constitute the well-bred lady II was
not long before the latter found itneces-
sary 10 move into the town for
greater convenience 10 her patrons
She subsequently, taught her pupils on
East Broad street, where now, by a curl
Gus coincidence, stands one Of the largest
public schools in the city. Mr.. Glass
soon left Belyidere. which was then pur-
chased by Mr. William Anderson, one Of ,
three brothers, who subsequently became
prominent and prosperous, merchants
ia Richmond, and whose numerous de- |
scendsnis are now well known in this city ]
Mr.. Anderson, at later date left Belyi- {
iere 10 occupy a new residence al ,
WARSAW" now the hospital of the Lit. I
he Sisters Of the Poor," at the west end /
IF the city, owned and controlled by the I
Catholic Church a
While these chances were going on .