The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-30
THE old Home OF
THE L |. Gil |. [
Sandy Point firest Of the OLD
Plantations.
,ERE sPlENDoR REIGNED.
iERE sPLENDOR {
The Place Now Divides Into Several
Tracts, Aim Il gh State Of Cuts
va,ion--1 he Pictures and Plate
Scattered Among Family.

lSpeciaI Correspondencc.)

ye.i as one OF the most fertile OF the
famous old-iinle James RIVER pianta-
lions. III ORIGINALITY comprised aboat
sa,D acres OF 4and with a river front
Of nearly three M les. In the days when
Virginia was a colony this magnificent
estate belonged To The I1ishIoots. Who
owned ii Tor several generations, and
who lived there IN great spiendor
Al the present time this great plan
tation IS divided UP into FIVE farms of
about Loco acres each. ali#in high state
of cultivation. Lexington became the
properly Of the Lightfoois In The seven
TENN century. rRii4p L.sit3isitSt IS
the first OF the name in Nirg MIA He
was the son Of j ohm Lishtfoot, barrister
nj law and grandson OF. John Light
foot, Minister Of Stoke Bruain. in North
Hampshire England
Phllp Lighlfoot was man of nHomt-
nence III his day. He owned three acts
OF land a, Sandy Point, which was then
In the Maii.ngford District, in James
City county. bu, i720 the Chicka-
horniny River was made the boundary
line between James City aud Charles
City counties, and Sandy Point fed into
the MISSIONER Parish.
Philip Iightfoot held many Offices OF
public trust during his life.
MANY POSITIONS.
II is recounted in the quaint language
a. that bNgone day. the he WAS ca led
Mister in 1917. l. eutenaut-Coioncl in 1862,
Certain In 1890. Justice of tile Peace of
Jap.es City County IN. 1893 lie lies
buried in the Old family graveyard al
S:lds Point. This sacred plot GOTTA rs
the tombs of many members oil iais dls-
tinguished family.
Ii is situated in the large suii,'.r 6ar-s
den and is surrounded BY llis,l box
te6ge. The tomb of PHIL p l-i.2tfapt
is a ye,, handsome one of ma. BILE. With
the I.ishtfoot arms eng aRted aDea ! ~ ,'ss
recent visit ofSandy Polrttsle writer
OF this sketch walked 70 the li,shtIoot
tIrNirss ground.
The ;ofnbs showed the marks % age
ana time and on that Of The foladcr
of the l. ghtfoa1 family. there rad been
place.; a small box. the scrt -. Ml1ies.
crackers and cakes arc s3aefsd ana snip
ped; In this hen was peacefully sitt1g
on nest of straw. in rAowjse disturbed
by her august and sotnbre s4iiou9alliss.
Mr. Naming. the present incumbent OF
the property. laugh nsly explained that
the hen insisted on laying on the top
of the tomb. so the box was placed there
for her accommodate
The dwelling house at Sandy Point is
a frame one OF good size. with lar-e.
sunny rooms, they are enbellishetl. with
the high wainscoat nss seen in nearly a d
!. Of the ancient dwellings Of any pretea-
THE FAMILY SEAT.
The house contains ten rooms. with a
high pila:.ea font porch. and stands
about forty yards from the river, the
low beachsrunnslg along the lower Slope
OF the lawn S one of the fiettiestson the
RIVER. There is a hageschilnnsy running
through the centre OF the haase. which
is nine feet thick sold BRICK. TIE
grounds and garden We're said &c have
been most Beautiful. but are no longer
kept up as they used to lie. Tic high
box hedge AT the back OF tie gaIden
and the@one that surrounds the l. gilt
foot hrrliug-groalad ale both ai,Gsr
twenty feet high
At the death of Philip Lightfoot the
estate became the property of Francis
Lightfoot, and afttrwa.e.5 Of Philip the
Second as he was called. This latter
gentleman also held Offices Of trust. In
l7u7 he was made clerk OF York county,
in which capacity he served until l.3S.
He was also appointed Keeper of the pub
lie Site of Iolk county itl8l1I5 He with
Francis ard many other wel-l,lonit
members Of THIS weilskllown family lie
hurled at Sandy Point.
The l.. snlloolsi.ns most of the cava-
Tiers of THAT early peryoiinent have. bee
lovers Of t.ne horses, for they are said
to have been extensive Importers Of thor
oughbreds f:,nrn England.
FAMILY PORTRAITS.
The family portraits at Lexington COM
,nanted the administration Of lovers of
art, Us most ofthem We're painted BY
The best known English artists of that
day. John Barnard lightfoot, who mar.
Tied the beautiful Harriet Field. OF
Gloucester county, inherited many OF
these portraits and afterwards sold them
TO his cousin, NJ $. William Reynolds. OF
Baltimore. Photographs of these por-
traits are now In possession of Mrs. John
3. Lightfoot, of Richmond. Va. and IN.
tit.s oafns ~ the virginia Historical So
eic;y al Richmond. Va.
Mrs Reynolds. in one of her letters,
Etves#a very interesting histor: Of these
family pictures. and also OF the Light
foot silver, and some souvenirs of vari-
Gus members of the family.
sisvS .iI{ ,aat...
There is preserved portrait of VIII
Ham Lightfoot With date 1850 fun length
size in blue court dress; a portrait of his
brsi3Af i'4i3ir< $500. 81 rln III ral ent,
dress These portraits We're pronounced
to hevery fine by Yolkinar. the best au-
thotsty OF his time.
He said that ,heaonls nnes he had ever
seen like them were some sent by Cen
eral Roaeit z. Lee 10 be cleaned. and he
tda e,f,= ~ vol
Hudson, the master Of Sir Joshua Rey-
nolss Portrait d, Mrs Howels. with In
FAINT daughter Mild cd, afterwards wife
Of William Lishtfoot. on her knee
Mothers figure. life size in white court
dress very fine picture supposed by
yalkn1ar 10 be a copy Portrait of Sir
John Howell London. (Name and date
on back OF canvass fun length. gray
court dress, leaning on sword, he was
presumably grandfather Of Mildred Pic
ture OF haif-growr boy and landscape
sad TO be the work Of Sir Peter Lily; a
Howeil picture These last two we're
given to Mrs. Seldom and s'arlsca by
William Boiling. when Sandy Point was
dismantel'ed. There are many other
portraits scattered among the descend
ants. but these are tae finest
FAMILY PLATE. Il
Much OF the large quantity Of old
English silver originally belonging to
Sandy Point. was stolen by the British.
the rest is aieiaea ard scattered. The
punch bowl. large silver dish. candle
sticks and other smaller pieces were In