The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-15
WHITEHALL, THE HOME
OF MIR. AND MRS. FLAGLER
I'm the Land of Flowers, More Wonderful Than ANY
Palace in the Old County. A Daugher of
North Carolina.

and divided into panels with handsome
moulding. Boucher panels, in an anti
que school of coloring, have been intro
duced above the doors and windows
which represent the four seasons and
others interesting subjects and which
give the room a tone of the old masters.
Everything is extremely handsome, from
the window draperies in two shades of
rose de Berry silk damask to the beauti-
fully carved banquet seats.
The light flashes from three jewelled
chandeliers and jeWelleed brackets, the
same as in grand salons of the fifteenth
century.
A private suite of rooms overlooking
Lake Worth, at the southwest corner of
the house, is for the use of Mr.. Flagler
and his secretaries. The furnishing is
are treated to match, with floors of
oak.
In the billiard room the style is that
OF the Swiss. The mantel is of Caen
stone. the fit beam ceiling of oak, and
the coloring is of gold and shades of
green and red.
The ceiling is kept soft in tone, and
has beautiful canvas medallion in the
centre, with four panels in the four
corners. The side walls are arranged in
panels, and finished with gold and gray
silk brocatelle. Handsome silk lace cur
tatns hang in the windows, and the dra-
peries are of the same material as on the
side walls. There is a carved statuary
marble mantel, which is one of the hand
soonest objects in the room.
One of the most exquisite pieces of art
in the house is the miniature statue OF
the Venus de Milo on the mantel which
is reflected in the mirror. Savonnerie
rug, of pale green and gray, with light
oolorings in the border, covers the floor;
there are richly embroidered silk por-
there's, with delicate roses, executed on
a gray satin plush; on the lambrequins
are the embroidered heads of Marie An
toinette and the Princess de Lambelle.
There are many old pieces of furniture
in the Louis periods, upholstered in an
tique pieces of silk also two commodes
with marble tops, richly ornamented in
bronze; four silver standards for light
ing the room, set of Aubusson tapestry
and embroidered furniture, and two rich
IL carved tables, one of the Louis XVI
and one of the Louis NV period. One
work of art in the salon is Louis XIV
carved green; another screen at the OPP
posite end of the room is of the Louis
XVI period, made with an antique deco
rated medallion.
A grand piano, in gray and silver, to
correspond with the treatment of the
room, has an artistic painting on the
inner lid, representing music. The cover
is an old piece of silk that was once
used as an altar cloth. The music ca
binet is also in gray and silver, with
decorated panels.
From the salon one enters the grand
dining room, treated in Francois l, de-
sign (size 44x23 feeD. The room is fin
ished in satinwood, with the ceiling di-
vided into panels and ornamented with
papeir mache in tones of green coIoring.
relieved by gold. The mantel is a mas
terpiece of carving, some of it being so
fine that a magnifying glass is needed
to see the details of the work A panel
of Aubusson is introduced in the frame.
The walls are hung in two shades of
green tapestry and the windows are
draped with plain green silk velour, hav-
ing bands of the Aubusson tapestry in
old colorings; the portieres are of the
same, in different designs of tapestry
The dining room chairs are covered with
Aubusson tapestry, which was made es-
pecially for each. The long table of
satinwood, to correspond with the room,
| is covered with a cloth of plain green
velour, having appliqued border and
monogram in the centre. Window cur
tains are of rich Corbe, lace, and rug
of Sayonnerie the centre being plain
green, with rich border, representing fruit
and game.
| The carving on the buffets and china
cabinets is some of the most artistic
ever executed in this country. The room
is llghted by four bronze and crystal
chandeliers. The andirons are of bronze
and floor of oak, with parquet border
The breakfast room, adjoining the grand
dining room, is Elizabethan in style. and
the room most used by ,ne household
when entertaining en- famille (size 23x21
| feeD. The walls are .panelled in wood
to the cornice, which is finished in old
ivory, and shelf containing Deft and
| japanese porcelians is placed around the
walls OF the room at mantel height. The
mantel is made of Parvnazza marbel.
with rich bronze mountings. and it is
over this mantel that the painting of
Henriette de Bourbon hangs. Arabian
1 lace curtains and draperies of silk
! tapestry hangs at the windows, while
the portieres are of gold silk velour, with
/ embroidered borders The furniture in
the breakfast room is of mahogany in
wax finish profusely ornamented in
| bronze.
Remarkable as Whitehall is in it's ar
tstic magnificence of salon, ballroom, Ii
brary. music room, grand hall and the
4 dining room, its greatest charm to the
art lover will be found in the multitude
of styles and the wealth of detailed de-
/ corations in the chambers of the guests
and in the chambers of the host and
! hostess. That Whitehall is to be gay
with company is shown by the fact that
/ there are sixteen guests chambers. Near
| ly all OF these rooms are in style and
design separate and distinct, and repre-
senting an epoch in the worlds history
Italy, France, Spain, England, tbs
Orient and our own Colonial mansions
have been studied to meet the require
ments in order to carry out this idea In
the lavish effort to furnish every con-
venience for guests nothing has beer