The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-17
RALEIGH, N. C.. TUESDAY. MARCH II, 1870
WHITEHALL, THE HOME
OF MIR. AND MRS. FLAGLER
In the Land Of Flowers, More Wonderful Than ANY
Palace in the Old County. Daugher of
North Carolina.

Palm Beach, Fla, March G, 1903.
To the Editor: l send you a descrip-
tion by q correspondent OF the New York
Herald, OF the palatial home-Whitehall
of one of the old North States fair
daughters. | am sure it Will be read
with mucn interest by the thousands OF
News and Observer subscribers. 1T is
only one in many thousands of the fair
and noble daughters of North Carolina,
or the United States or the world, as
for that, who enjoys the pleasures Of so
magnificent home Many kings and
queens and princes have lived and died
without ever having been blessed with
such magnificent q home. The cost of
it from start to finish is hardly known
to even Mr.. and Mrs. iTlagIer themselves.
| have seen many of the pretty and cost
ly homes OF people in London, Paris and
other foreign cities, but none to excel ID
magnificence Whitehall and its surround
ingS
j. A. CREWS.
More wonderful than any palace in
Europe, grander and more magnificent
| than any other private dwelling in the
world is Whitehall, the new home Z nIy
NJ. Flagler has built in the Land OF
Flowers. The Vatican, the forests, the
quarries, the old salons, the art shops
| and the looms have contributed some Of
the choicest treasures to deck this mary
elous structure. It is in natures garden
spot on the banks of Lake Work, at Palm
Beach, Fla. Pilgrims with poetic fancy
will find in Whitehall beauties that are
grouped nowhere else on earth. 70 SO
| from room to room is to go from cen
| tury to century, from one period OF art
| to another. The golden fairies have had
| no thought of cost on this their most
exquisite creation. 1t is to turn back
| the pages of time to visit Whitehall.
Fitting to the place and the associa-
| tions, the architecture is that of Spain.
| but its exterior gives no suggestion of
| its glories of interior decoration and
! ornamentation, and it is within the walls,
and not outside the artist will find the
| charms which hold him captive.
/! In every detail in this palace the work
has been thorough that he who visits
| it would be led to believe the struc-
| ture was built hundred more years
| ago instead OF being a product Of the
| present day. just released from the
| builders hands. Men have been working
| day and night for a year in this country
and in Italy and in France, making and
! collecting the decorations, and now their
| work is ended. In the grouping Of sculp-
| ture, tapestry, rugs, antique, furniture,
| ceramics, bronzes and panels there is
nothing in the world to equal Whitehall.
| AS its name suggests Whitehall is a
| place of white. AS you approach the
broad marble steps Which lead to The
| colonnade the lines of white are broken
| by the cocoanut palms and the orange
| trees in front. Once within the great
| bronze grill doors the fancies of the
| fairies begin to unfold. The hall is Of
marble 1t is 10 feet long and forty
| feet Wide-large enough, almost, to mar
| shall half a regiment. The ceiling is
| t enty feet high, with a dome in the
! U;nt1T upon which are decorations IN
| canvas representing the 'CrowninS of
| (KnoWledge" Cameo medalions typify-
| ing the Earth, the Sea, the Air and the
| Soil stud the ceiling, and there are
Panels representing Prosperity and Hap
piness. III inches are life sized statutes,
| Peace, Science, Pensive and Marine,
| while sixteen marble columns at the end
of the hall and at the approach to the
grand staircase add to the imposing
| grandeur of the whole. Panels of raer
| Aubusson tapestry are hun at either end
| of this hall, representing Faith, Family,
| Patriotism and Humanity. One of the
| glories of this hall is a Kirmansha rug,
| soft in color and of Persian design. It
! is forty-two feet long by twenty seven
feet wide, the largest Of its kind ever
| made.
| Many of the chairs and important
pieces Of furniture richly carved in
Louis XIV design, covered with tapestries
and silk velVets. The clock is a master
piece in bronze, standing nine feet high.
It represents Time riding the world in
/, a cloud. The top is surmounted by rays
CT the sun, and below the bronze is made
! to show the fruits Of the earth.
In an opposite corner is an antique
Florentine chest, with a decorated panel
| representing the marriage of Boccaceio.
Windows in the hall are draped in Span
ish tapestry of green, and the portieres
are plain green velour with antique cloth
c fgold appliqued borders. Four slender
yramd trees, ten feet high, stand near
the windows to complete the color
scheme
On the left of the hall is the library,
Which is of the Italian Renaissance pc
riod. The walls are hung in rich Spanish
tapestry in two shades of red, and the
portieres are of red velvet The windows
are hung With Arabian 1aces, and over
| the mantel is 4 large oil painting of Mr.
Flagler
Aubusson tapestry furniture, carved
walnut chairs and richly carved table,
with Savonnerie rug in rich tones of red
and border in gold, rare books and paint
ings complete the furnishings Of the Ii
brary. One of its pieces is an old paint
ing representing the landing of Pence de
Leon in Florida.
AS the music room is hung with fine
paintings. it is actually an art gallery as
we'll and is designed after the Louis XIV,
period (size, G6X24 feet. This room also