New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-26
THE OLD PHELPS ESTATE.
| TIE beautiful SPOT IN SIMsBURY WHERE
WALTER PHELPS DODGE Is BUILD
| ING 4 HOME
From The Hartford Post.

Many an old English family which boasts OF its
ancestral acres and It's time,worn records has been
established it's lands no longer than the
Phclpses have owned their estate out here at Sims
bury. While there has been Simsbury there has
been Phelps and 1t Is impossible to disassociate
The estate of Bushy Hnl was left to William Wal
ter Pheps-the statcsman. diplomat and judge-by
his father, John Jay Phelps. one OF New-York =
Mrs b. stuart Dodge. purcbased it, 1t now con.
ssts Of 1850 acres. and is under the care of y.
dron. 1t has grown to resemble an old English
country place The house is very large and quantity
arranged. 1t is about seventy years old and has
been added 10 ut different times Ii Is built OF ma
rye nI the library Is unuspay rg@
statues The grounds are beautifully kept and there
are twenty acres OF lawn The stables are large and
Just across the rSa1 18th is the OLD Phelps home
green blinds, where Captain David Phelps OF Rev
oiutonary fame. and his son Alexander lived their
d escsendan's were bring them VIZ ''"s '"F''
Phelps Dodge Is building the fac-simile OF an
Of a Tudor house in Chester, England. not Ameri-
The first story is OF sandstone the second of
oak beams set In plaster. The interior OF the
house Is to be quaint the outside The main
hall IL 4Ox23. and has large fireplace six feet
Seen placed This hall is two feet lower han ahs
rest OF the house. and one descends by steps at
with a bay window opening upon n tagged terrace
a, the other Is the snokng-room which Is TO con
poGge ee and the bary rhe s Is M
wants hall and the usual offices are all large
and commodous. An unusual feature Is the room
over the porte cocherc. which is Mrs. Dodge's
boudoir
Mr.. Dodge has the table from Judge Bradshaw's
house MARBLE Hail. around which sat the conn
ell that tried King Charles l. fact well authenti-
Gated by letters and aidavits: and as his ancestor
John Phelps was clerk OF the court that tried the
martyr king. there IL probability that he may
have sat at that very table There IL also a Welsh
coronation chair with canopy eight feet high
in black oak. where King Charles is also reported
TO have cat.
The front door has been brought from Riber
Castle. In Yorkshire and In Its stout oak are stIlI
embedded some OF the bullets set by CromweIls
soldiery The entrance to the winding road that
leads up to Mr. DOdges home Is under n rustic
gateway. matched and along by n pretty lodge-a
very old house restored. When the grounds are
planted and the house IL finished Mr. Dodge WIN
have an ideal place. and he can lay his hand
on the bones OF seven generations OF his ancestors
he need not go to England to obtain family as.
socatons. Mr.. Dodge's new house will be known
as 'chnnnock Lodge" IN memory Of the old
home Of the Dodges In England. and doubtless
Walter Phelps Dodge whose successful stories
Three Greek Tales" and AS the Crow Flies :;
will be remembered having appeared I'm "Tho
Post" some two years ago. and afterward in book
form. where they quickly ran into a second ed
pa ents were a trip around the world His mother