Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-10
OLD HOUSES AND NEW.

The process OF transforming the lower
part of the house at the southwest cor
ner Of Main and Seventh streets into
stores effaces. in part. one of the venera-
bic landmarks OF Richmond.
We, Of course. know taat old houses
must make room for new ones, just as
cid men must make way Tor young ones;
but I'm either case our susceptibility is
touched. House after house of the old
regime we have seen pass away. leaving
no sign that they had ever been. and
leaving no Successors as picturesque or
as rich in historical association as they
were.
Steadily the process OF demolition goes
on. In time. the Clifton house probably
the oldest house here with one cXcep-
tom. and the house OF Chief-Justice Mar
shall will share the fate of so many of
the fine old mansions. that stood in the
midst OF gardens and trees, and which
at a glance proclaimed themselves the
homes OF men ana women who had had,
not only wealth. but good taste, Hap
PLY, the Jefferson Davis Mansion and
the Wiclxham house are removed from
this ignoble fate-the former Having be-
come museum of Confederate war
relics. while the latter is destined to be-
come the home OF the Valentine Museum
"a rich collection of works of art, relics.
of the American Indian. etc. So, too. we
may assume that the fine. Old mansion
in which the Westmoreland Club has its
fC-
cannot think that the club would ex-
change It for any modern house.
The house at Main ana Seventh streets
IS best known to this generation as having
been the home Of William Green Esq,
sometimes called Judge Green. and often
er "old Billy Green" But let no one
imagine that there was any lack Of re-
spect In the last, rather too familiar
title. Mr. Green was one Of our fore
most citizens-one of our ablest lawyers.
His mind was a great library of law,
from which he could draw al viii prin-
ciples and presidents in the pursuit o.
a profession, which was almost as dear
20 him as life itself He was one of the
most remarkable of men for the variety
and accuracy Of his knowledge OF gene
raj history and biography, as well as
of law. He could talk in his rapid way,
for an hour about Sir Robert Walpole,
for instance and his son, Horace; or
about Garrick and Mrs. Siddons, as IL he
had lived in their neighborhood all his
life: or about old Chaucer, as If he had
been one Of the Canterbury pilgrims him.
self
But Mr. Green was by no means the
FIRST occupant OF that house. Long be-
fore the war 1t was occupied by DR.. Mel
son, who had previously lived on Bank
street. Whether the Doctor was the orr
glnal owner Of the Seventh-street house
or not. we do not know; but he caused
an additional story to be put upon IT, and
otherwise improved IT.
The timbers In the house show the marks
Of the raftsmans spikes from which we
conclude that the logs were RATED here
from down the river. and were sawed.
either at the saw-mill then upon Mayors
Island, or, az that one which once stood on
tie north side Of the canal, between Thir-
also shows that IL was sawed with an up
right-saw-the saw that antedated both
the circular-saw and the band-saw.
when the house was built it had for it's
Maln-street neighbors the Allen house.
at the southeast corner Of Main and Firth
streets. and the house now occupied by
pr. Hoge: but then by Major Gibbons.
and probably the Palmer house, opposite
Or. Hoge's.
Those were days when house-builders
recognized the fact that Virginia sum-
ners are often very hot. They located
their homes 80 as TO catch the southern
breezes Scores OF such houses were
put upon lots selected with evident pur-
pose OF affording 10 the occupants
The breezes that come from the river'on
summer nights. and which do so much
10 mitigate the ferceness or our hot sea-
son. or such were the Byrd house.
which stood near the penitentiary, and
which long since disappeared, and the
k0amble house. on Candles Hill, razed