Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-05-22
The Gill Home.

History OF the Movement for Esta bill Is n
ing a Home In Vermont---The Build
ing and Its Furnishings.
The Rutland Herald of Monday gives a
detailed account of the steps which led to
the establishment of the Odd Fellows Home
at Ludlow, the decisive thing, as a matter
of course, being the gift of the Gill prop
erty at Ludlow.
AT the annual meeting of the grand lodge
held in St. Johnsbury May Is, 1885, the
first step was taken by the fraternity toward
establishing home. At that meeting H.
W. Hall of Burlington, w. D. Wilson of
st. Adams, II. L., Stillson of Bennington,
o. II. Henderson of st. Johnsbury and L.
j. Retting of Brattleboro were appointed
committee of trustees to make necessary
arrangements for the institution. The
first meeting was held in Rutland on the
9th of that month From that time on
the work of selecting a site was diligently
prosecuted. Favorable attention was f.
nally turned to the Gill summer hotel at
Ludlow, which was erected in 1894 by j.
S. Gill of Boston with the idea of bringing
Boston people TO Ludlow The house was
one of the finest and most commodious
summer hotels in Vermont, but for some
reason it did not draw the people as ex-
pected. When approached on the subject
Mr.. Gill offered to sell the hotel to the Odd
Fellows for $1,000, about one-fifth of its
cost. During the conversation at the final
conference on the subject Mr.. Gill arose
and offered to give the fraternity deed of
the entire property. "The gift was so sud
den, so unexpected and so welcome" said
one of the gentlemen present, "that not a
word was said for fully two minutes. 4"
That the generous offer was accepted has
become matter of history.
Passengers on the Rutland road are ia
pillar with the structure on the spur of
I high land overhanging the town of Lud-
low. This is Gill Home. 1t is built of
wood, is three stories high and has 'front.'
age of 60 feet and length of 90 feet, the
building being shaped like T. The in
terror is modern in all respects and elabo-
rate in many ways. On the first floor one
is faYorably impressed with the commo-
dious reception room, parlor, dining room
and kitchen, which with the basement,
where are the heating apparatus and bill
lard room, forms the working apartments
of the home, The rs sleeping rooms are
on the second floor On each floor are
spacious halls with fireplaces, lavatory and
bath room attachments. The whole is
finished in polished oak with hardwood
floors.
When it became evident that the home
was to be established in Ludlow the lodges
of Odd Fellows and Rebekah throughout
the state were asked for donations of
money, furniture and useful articles with
which to make the interior of the building
as attractive as any of its kind. How well
the fraternities responded can be judged by
the fact that today every room in the house
is ready for use with as good furniture,
bedding, carpets and toilet articles as could
be procured. In the basement all work is
completed except furnishing the billiard
room, which will be done at once.
The reception room on the left as one
enters was furnished by Hiawatha lodge,
No. 20, of Barre. The furnishings consist
of heavy polished oak tables, heavy leather
cushioned chairs'Of late design and consid-
cradle bric-a-brac. The parlor on the OPP
poslte side of the broad hall was fitted out
by Wantastiquet lodge, No. 5, of Brattle-
boro. The furnishings, which are elabo-
rate, consist of Turkish rugs, tables, cane
chairs, cherry, oak and mahogany furni-
ture, lace curtains and all the luxuries
found in modern room of its kind. Both
the parlor and reception room have hand
some fireplaces. 49,. Is
q In each chamber will be found the fol-
lowing: A brass bedstead done in gold
and white, 40-pOund hair mattress, two
five-pound pillows, an ingram carpet, Nor