Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-06-14

WEST vrBw OF THE SOUTH FRONT.
tFrom q photograph taken especially for this
publication
cupied by magnificent house to be
built by ex-senator Davis, father-in-law
Of Mr.. Elkins; the next will be built
upon by Hon. J. 9. Campbell, the pres
ent governor of Ohio, an intimate friend
Of the Davis and Elkins families; and
the one on the extreme right is being
prepared for the erection upon it of q
fine summer residence for Hon. r. c.
Kerens, of st. Louis. who has an extern
sive interest in the many enterprises Of
Messrs. Elkins and Davis. These four
bills form the northern boundary of the
Tygart valley.
Through the southern end of this flows
the Tygart river, u bread, handsome and
navigable stream. Tall mountains,
clothed to their SUBMITS with luxur-
liant growth Of forest trees, hem in the
valley on all sides. At present the near
by town Of Elkins consists of some five
or six hundred people and the houses are
Of the primitive frontier style, built Of
rough boards and the interiors decorated
by large sheets Of coarse brown wrap
Diuk DdIVI tdChtu vi tLc Whl6-
Mr.. Elkins' house is reached by a long
carriage drive from the station along the
principal avenue Of the town and
through an ornamental park which is
being laid out on the slope Of the hill
upon which the mansion stands. The
building itself looks at distance not
unlike nm old baronial castle, with ram
parts and towers and gables. A closer
inspection, however, reveals house Of
the most modern pattern. The ramparts
resolve themselves into wide gallery or
porch floor and the towers into orna-
mental additions to large and spacious
rooms. 1t is an extensive three storied
structure occupying space 100 feet wide
by 150 feet long, exclusive of the kitchen
extension on the left. The whole house,
inside and out, with the exception of the
Vermont slate on the roofs, is built Of
material obtained in the immediate
neighborhood
The basement is Of stone procured
from the Cheat river quarries; the first
story is of clapboards and tho second and
third Of round and square shingles dip
ped in creosote and arranged in alternat-
the valley, has large round bay win
dow on the left corner with cone shap-
ed roof relieved by small dormer win
dows. In the center is o round tower
with fiat palisaded roof reached by u
spiral staircase whose doorway is in
little extinguisher shaped turret. A fine
view Of the valley and surrounding
mountains can be obtained from this
point. The back entrance to the build
ing is at the base Of this tower. On the
extreme right is the kitchen extension, a
two story building, the first floor con-
tanning the kitchen proper, pantries and
servants dining room and the floor above
their sleeping and bath rooms.
The north side, which is really the
front Of the house, contains the main
entrance. A huge porte cochere extends
across the carriage drive to the doorway,
and a series of dormer windows, gables,
turrets and galleries gives very pict-
uresque effect to the sky line.
The interior is not nearly completed.
Everything is, however, to be finished
within couple of months. When done
the house will have cost about 800, 900.
It contains lightweight rooms. In the
basement are the boiler, pump and laun-
dry rooms, with five immense storage
cellars. There are twenty-four rooms
on the first floor, thirty two on the Sec
ond and twenty-four on the third. The
house, from top to bottom, will be fin
ished in natural hard woods.