Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-09-26

Beth has Just been visiting in Ches-
ter county and comes home full of
enthusiasm over places OF historical
and sentimental Interest, ut hurt
me, she went on to say, ito find
Cedarcroit, the estate OF BRyard Taylor,
in such bad condition. 1t has been
found necessary now to adopt pre-.
cautions to prevent the old homestead
from being despoiled.
Most of the visitors are attracted,
probably, more by The natural beauty
OF the lawns and grove than by the
| literary associations OF the place; but
all learn that the quaint mansion has
some sort of story connected with it,
and, SO, they feel impslled to carry off
one or more relics.
| The property, consisting Of the house
and 10 acres OF land, one mile north OF
the village Of Kenneth Square, was sold
ut sheriff's sale last year to the
National Bank If Rennett Square. For
q time, visitors were allowed to roam
at will over the place; but vandalism
became so c6mmon that no one IL now
| permitted to enter the house unless
| accompanied by repreeeD tativo OF tie
i owners. The tiles about the old lire
| places appealed particularly to the
relic. hunters; and one fireplace has
almost been destroyed as the result of
successive depredations.
Ceuaroroft's future 10 involved in
uncertainty. The main purpose OF the
syndicate OF business men that now
holds it is to realize a profit on their
investment 1t may be sold to some
one who will preserve its literary
traditions; or it may go to thrifty
individual who will cnnvert it into a
picnic resort or summer boarding
house. Al the sheritf's sale, s9,375 was
paid for the property on which Bayard
Taylor spent fully $50, 900. Having re-.
turned from his worldwide travels,
Taylor, in 1869, started to convert into
reality his dream Of many years to
MAKE his home In the little Quaker
community where he was born. Ao-
curing farm opposite his birthplace,
he planned and supervised every step
in the erection OF dwelling.
In the cornerstone, he placed copy
of "Views Aioot,'' an original poem
which he said should be read five
hundred years hence by somebody who
never heard OF me" poem 10 manu-.
script by Richard Henry f3toddard, and
family assisted in laying the stone
| huo thhb hbh AlO Wofo botfoo w hfAe
workmen. The housewarming was
elatorately celebrated ON August 18th
Of the following year. There WINS q
performance of one.act comedy en-.
titled Love III Hotel" written by
Taylor and Stoddard. The latter was
the guest of honor on this occasion.
The building was modelled somewhat
after the old Englieh manor-houses
Brick walls Of unusual thickness were
reared on granite foundations. Wid'
verandas surrounded the house; whil'
the most conspicuous feature is {
square tower resembling pagoda.
Although he planted trees and shrub
: berry and devoted much attention tt
identifying Cedsrcroft, Taylor's earl,
} dreams OF peaceful retirement her,
we're never fully realized. This wa
: due, partly, TO his Unborn love OF trave
and partly to the conservative natur,
of the Kenneth Quakers. The Cheste
county farmets resented Innovation
3 that he introduced among them; ANT
, when, in 1866, his STORY of Kenneth
. appeared, they we're highly offended
] because they found themselves de
s picted in its rngeH. Because of tn
t lack of harmony with his neighbors
s Taylor was the more ready to gratif,
anew his longings to wander IN foreigl
Q lands.
t For ten years, however, he spen
3 most OF bis summers at Oedarcroit, an,
Q during these so;ourns he numbere
Q among his guests the foremost author
OF America, includ ng Whittier, Lowell
3 Emerson, Greeley, Aldrich, Steadmsn
n Curtis, Boxer, and Stoddard. DE
8 scribing his picturesque surrounding
d at Cedarcroft, Taylor writes:
b Looking down from the house, ther
e is the old forest on the left; the line Q
Il trees, overgrown and tangled togethe
Q with wild grapes and ivy, on the right
;, the point of the wood at the bottom O
i the lawn in front, and over its edg
It and between 1t and the grove of yello'
II pine, lookout into the country
o bounded by some hills, five or 81
n miles away. i
Near the northwestern corner {
the house, and not far from the garden
there is small group Of black walnu
and locust trees which gives us tn
nearest shade in summer. No larR
trees are planted nearer than the loves
,s terrace in front, Westward, a hundre
yards distant, there are two enormou
chestnut trees, which surpass lin di
n mension5 any have seen in thi
,. country. One Of the trunks is q fee
n in circumference; the other, "a feet;
I presume they are not less than three {
q four hundred years old.
y After 1872. Taylor never lived a
n Cedarcroft. When he died. in 1871
"a shortly after being appointed Mniste
"a to Germany, he was buried in th
h LonRwood Friends cemetery, nef
Kenneth Square; and shove his gray
!. was placed stone bearing bron2
70 bas-relief of the roet, a sculpture
!. butterfly, and the words
h alpha, January IL, 1926; Omega
10 December 10. 1871 Shortly after th