Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-01
SUBURBAN RETREAT
Handsome Country Seat Owned by
Mr.. John R. Mclean.
ESTATE OF GREAT NATURAL BEAUTY
Grounds and Approaches to Resi-
dence Greatly Improved.
WALL HALF MILE IN LENGTH

good deal of interest is manifested by
the public in the improvements which are
being made by Mr.. John r. Mclean at his
country seat. This property, which is in
reality very near the business center of the
District, is one of those places of great
natural beauty which suggest remoteness
from the hauntS of man. 1t is so located on
the Tenleytown road-Wisconsin avenue, as
it is now termed-that many of it's beauties
can be enjoyed by those who drive out in
that direction who go out on the electric
cars. When the cars stop at the street
which leads down into Cleveland Park just
beyond Oak View, the former residence of
ex-Presdent Cleveland, and now the coun-
try home of Col. Robert l. Fleming, the
visitor finds himself directly opposite to the
main entrance of the property of Mr.. Nc
Lean.
Just now workmen are engaged in con
structing a gateway which will make a
stately approach to the handsome grounds
On each side of the entrance are the gate
posts, which rise in the sturdy strength OF
the granite material to the height of TWEEN
ty-five feet. They need to be of a substan-
tfal character to support the enormous iron
gates which are to be placed there and
which We're formerly at the Mount ROYAL
entrance to Druid Hill Park Baltimore
The stone forming the piers of the gate i,
native granite, similar to that used IN the
construction of the wall which extends
therefore has length of over half mile
The Approaches.
About midway in this long stretch of
granite wall, which is to be finished with
an iron fence, is a fountain which has a
granite background formed by a graceful
curve in the line of the wall. At the north
end of the property is another entrance.
which leads more directly to the house As
one passes through this ornate yet digni-
fled gateway a road stretches before him
twenty feet in width, with stone cutters
on each side and surface of West Vir-
gfnla limestone screenings upon gravel
base. The roadway, rs well a number of
other improvements which have been made
In this place during the past wear have
been done under the direction of Mr. w +
Hart, who is Mr. McLean's right-hand man
The driveway is not only fine specimen of
road making, but 1T leads one through a
most charming series of natural scenes
plunging into dense woods, which are seen
In all their native widness, and then down
into glens where the ravines are spanned
by rustic bridges, and SO along through
lawns and shaded hooks to the
house, which stands EMPOWERED in trees
and shrubbery near the northern edge of
the estate.
When the drive is finished from the main
entrance to the house the visitor will have
Travelled more than a mile. and vet the
road Is by no means merely a winding one,
but simply built to some attractive sections
Of this great property. Altogether there
are some hundred acres lying beyond the
stone wall and with what is an appropriate
sense Of the fitness of things Mr.. Mclean
has evidently intended to adapt the pla, a
for his own use without interfering with or
marring in any way the really fine natural
effects.
Dwelling Practically Unchanged.
hOnSa
once tie property Of Georgetown College
and occupied as retreat for the priests,
has practically not been touched by Mr.. Nc
Lean. The old walls with their shade OF
colonial yellow, of which glimpses are had
from the road, through the foliage. have
been freshened a bit by the aid of the paint
brush, but the color scheme has not been
changed. A square porch marks the main
entrance, which is in The center of the