The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-12

Wis 10 - IIIIIfl Allil 49, Of tH4
ob,,,'.,., 80 he house in the eyes Oh 'ne
,.,.,,,.., - cter Afterwards regsIden u
,,.,tL ,,,.,i.ior Colonel Bullock Nieiieu W
fam, H. o,,,sa frequently during ine
ro.r and snDnt much time theic IN VIC
summer A. his health began ~ ussi'"o D
fiji anurehen.ivc lest he mlsh, "ie snu
dsnlv while away. IN sucn H..
he preferred not 70 run ,he i''H ~
a.. t,,rinI I'm a coffin made according 10
.i,7 ouch nattern Of the country. To aFold
~. te hoi prepared such a burial case az
s,,ited his wishes. and had 10 sent 10 ms
resifnnca in the town, there 20 remain untl
! M next visit % Louisa. To this circum-
stance was due the report referred 20 ABOVE.
Tho truth il be had done what was not
,arv uncommon thing at that time. among
people Of consequence who lived az uls-
/ lance from the towns. tOlonei buiutN
widow. who inherited an ample fortune
from her husband. continued 10 occupy nei
delightful home for many years after his
/ dasfh -h. summoned 10 her side several
of her Young lady relatives whose society
| had become necessary m ner loneliness.
/ me- presence of these added new attac-
I fions 90 the place. and IL was not long De-
] f,rt il AGAIN became the seat N an agree
able hut unostentatiOu- hospitality. Dur
/ in., the succeeding wears of her life. her
home was the resort NJ many noted people.
Some Other early contemporaries occupied
/ hieh -ocisl positions, and were frequent
visitors 40 her home. Chief among these
wa. Mrs. General Winfield Scott
Several generations Of debutanies' r.
4 msrkable for their personal beauty and 500
cal attractions. began their smabie bug
c0n0uering careers in the halls of this old
mansion. In after years some Of these went
s.to the bridal. some 90 the tomb A few
auryiyo. and win doubtless learn with regret
/ that lho scene Of their Joys. where yolih
and they lived inf together is about 10 die-
annoar forever from their vision. N not from
F their thoughts. After all her pioiteees hHn
married. Mrs. Bullock rented out her holne'
/ Ifva. then occupied DIS the venerable widow
and family of the late Mr.. James Bruce of
+ Halifax county. until her new city residence
+ then being built should DE completed. The
latter now stands ON the northwestern cor
ner OF Clay and Twelfth streets. and is the
property 0f Mr.. Robert a. Lancaster. All 7
ihe doathOf Mrs. Bullock the property was
sold tO Mr.. Alexander Rutherford. Who
again sold ID tO the late Mr.. GcOrg :. Palmer.
Although attention has once before been
drawn 90 the typographical alterations DO
chat locality. 10 may Doe proper 90 say some
thing of it, general appearance before these
were made. The house then appeared to be-
un0n considerable elevation Dos reason OF
tie deep rayino which separated DO from
upirhhOrng buildings Franklin street
WAS then carriage road descending bill
westward. so steep and rugged that n1 wee
hicle Of ans Kind could De driven directly
down ii AZ The bottom of This docliyiiY
was "a deep gully along 4 hich q brook ram
southwark. which seercd determined 90
"now on forever" over this gully was "a
stone bridge Of a single span. This was
made necessary because after rr0l0n ged
IH.. I'D. Tt. al I'D Il u
the swollen stream.
The ground Immediately in front of The
mansion was l0w. ilat and always wet. 4
loW giant trees varied the mon0i nf ol the
view beyond. where The open fields lay cove
cred with .heep-mnt, weeds and slender
grasses. This was part of the common
grazing surface that enYir0ned the entire
town. upon which The household cattle oi
the community was wont t0 browse. ALONG
"a road inierscciing what is now Franklin
street. long professions of mountain Was-
ons with their hne si1-h0rse teams and
heavily laden with Western products. enc
tered The town. These often became sO
-unkcn 'n ihe soft earth chat DO required Cue
help the neighb0r5' servants i0 prize them
out of a slough oi despair.
At last. as the fields beyond began 90 Doe
enclosed and cultivated. it locame neces-
aary chat Che approaches t0 the town should
Doe improved. This began by cutting down
tho bin 0n Franklin street. The gully. its
brook and the stone bridge soon disanp
under mass OF earth. ln the meantime.
change Of grade in the direction OF Grace
and Broad streets rclulnged the watershed.
SD lhat the rainfall found it's way in the
direction of 8acOu's Quarter branch. Even
after this had been done. 10 became nccc--
sary % construct stone wall some ien feet
or more iu height On the southern lime ll
Franklin street. no rs tO catch the debris
still brought down by heavy rains. The eff
feet OF this was tO establish "a higher level
for the passage WAY. Vehicles could chem
gci over with safety; but for the use 90 pee
pedestrians % high wooden bridge about
ifty yards long connecting the opposite e.c-
fat.ons was found necessary.
At last, under the system OF improvement
recently naugratcd by the City Engineer
the Richmond community are enjoying ihe
luxury OF a. safe and beautiful drive, over
what was once 90 scene of ruggcdness ana
danger. The dWeler, in that Immediate
neiehb0rl00d little suspect that under tle
street nearly opposite the mansion herein
referred t0. are buried ~ old stone arch
once spanning an lnces-lhe gully. another
massive work of stone and tne dCcayod re-
mains OF "a long wooden bridge high above
these.
The account just given of an old family
residence and its environments may not aye
/ pear tO some worthy 0l such notice. much
less of the dignity of type. Bat DO should Ne
. remembered thIt one Oi the most interest
ing departments Of literature owes it- pc'u-
/ liar attractions tO that love Of the curious
SD characteristic oi iuGuisitAe minds. and
+ to the sentiments of respect and penerailon
I DO inspires in the heart OF the antiquarian.
I To such tastes We are indebted i0r that
D. Del 81 ... ..I.
/ innovation, which. while lf would moo ODE
siuct the march of improvement, would
I neither willingly sacrifice Whatever might
/ possess an iue-t.mah.e relation Orb the past.
/ N has been under such inspiration. That
Y0llmin0us works have been written 0.--
scrihIug the ancient remains Ui great cities,
and OI localities made historic Dy The ore
currnoe oi famous events.
The piece 0f local history herein given BIAS
no claim other than Dos relation in period
in the social lite off Richmond. n0w passed
away. Lit should appear unnecessary i0
/ have UariiculariIcl with such detail tlr
changes Chat have been made lu chat lmlut-
/ diatr neighD0rb00d. 10 only need Doe pointed
ont how ile industry oi investigators has
/ boa tle same direction been taxed to lui
upon record tle smallest items necessary io
] the integrity 0l their accounts. striking cA-
amples no f1- are furnished boz tine volumes
written descriptive oi places streets u.u
. buildings Boo tlo great English metropolis.
For several generations. the origin of tle
name of one OF the greatest thOr0ugniares 0i
London WAS subject discussion and enc
/ guiry; and 90 this day 10 is not positively
/ settieLhOW piccadilly came 90 he SO called.
/ WIEN We are told that Fleet street, now
/ teemin- with its OTercrOwded MASS Ol pOpu-
] lat'0n. was once the bed Of "a rlfulet. 10
should al the same time Dee explained that
deriyatiye of that name is from am old
/ Saxon word signifyng "a flowing stream.
30 with "the strand" which though now
some distance from the Thames. was once. ass
/ lbs name indicates part OF ihe shelving bank
of that ancient river. Many such examples
afford sufficient excuse for attaching lm-
p0rtance % local history and it's associ4-
tiOns.
10 ia "a c0nsOling thought that the vacated
l site Of the Bullock mansion as DO has been
/ long known. b. tO be occupied by stately
and elegant clubhouse. The association Of
/ gentlemen incorporated as the "Commol-
wealth Club" are now taking steps 10 this
end.
Aur0pos Of clubs. it is surprising how
/ these ancient organizations have increased
i'm numbers and power in these modern
times. We say ancient because it is well
! A. d