The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-30

She Argues Against the Destruction Of yir-
ginia Homes.

Sin1h
Amelie Rives has just written TO q New
York paper a protest against the demoli-
tion OF celebrated old Virginia manses
In the course OF which she says:
Winter before last, when 1 was i'll In
Paris, / heard with Deep sorrowful re-
regret that the old Allan house had been
sold az builders material for the sum OF
wv! Although that was not his birth
! place, Edgar Allan Poe had spent much
OF his youth there with his adopted
parents, and his name and fame were
closely associated with the stately, pic
turesque building. or course, it could
scarcely be expected that lot so large
ana valuable should remain unsold mere
~ from an emotion Of sentiment on the
part OF the owners; but on the other
hand there seemed to be no Virginian
wealthy or patriotic enough TO prevent
the utter demolition OF this interesting
landmark.
Now l hear that the Anderson house.
one OF the most charming buildings in
Richmond. with its famous associations
and lovely grounds and trees, has been
sold also, to be demolished for builders
materials. and that in it's place a modern
hotel is to be erected-of all construc-
suggestive OF repose and dignity. In
showing this town OF my birth to
stranger ii is not the new buildings
which | would point out to him as worthy
his Interest: no, II Is the remaining spec
linens of large and simple architecture
Ia which our fathers were born. and
which our grandfathers and great-grand-
fathers planned and built that l would
ful solid outlines which seem made to
show with pride; those unpretending,
spacious houses with their square, rest
shelter the Virginia gentleman as we like
10 think and write Of him, with his
simple generosity, his broad charity. his
unpretentious nobleness of character.
It reminds me OF the vandalism which
Is going on In Rome The old palaces
destroyed. their exquisite billy gardens
carried of in dump carts, their aged
expresses cut down. Row after row OF
warehouses and tenements defle some
OF the most enchanting streets and SUI
burbs in Rome If 1 felt my eyes ill In
looking upon that work of iconoclasm,
what must | feel in hearing. year after
year Of just such sins against art and
beauty, injuring the pretty town that l
love so much?
! never experienced n more charming
surprise than upon visiting Monticello,
whose kind host gave me every oppor-
tunty of seeing house and grounds.
Every Nirgnian owes him vote or
thanks for preserving in its own style this
most rare and characteristic old home
stead True the lodge is ugly and inhar-
monious, but it is a detail.
Why not be ourselves? Why not keep
10 that kind of architecture so charac-
teristic of Virginia? Improve 1t as much
as We like as to size. proportion, mate
rial, ornament but don't let little Queen
Anne or the average New York architect
draw us dee plans"
If / owned Aladdin's lamp l would
first buy every handsome old house In
Virginia and set a genius TO guard 1t
forever. Then l would establish a school
Of architecture In Richmond, where such
man as Stanford White, for instance,
should inculcate the maxim that the fit
ting is always the most beautiful, and
that form of architecture which might
be suitable in the North would in no
wise harmonic with the natural seen
cry the climate or the traditions of
what Edmund Spencer calls "Fruitfullest
Virginia"