The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-02-21

| pldSteI-WOIk WHICH QlStlnS ulSIleS SO
many Colonial interiors, both in the
North and in the South, but the
principal elements in the design of
the woodwork about the doors, win
dows, mantels, and around the cell
ings, are pediments, "cross-setted"
architraves, dentiis, modillions, and
the egg and dart ornament, all of
which are executed with the delicacy
and feeling characteristic of hand
work. There is tradition that much
of this joinery was done by British
prisoners obtained in gangs, by con-
tract with the Continental Govern
ment, to labor at the Northampton
Iron Works, which had been started
on the northwestern part of the
Hampton" estate in 100.
The walls Of the big hall are en-
tirely covered with paintings, most
| ly of the Italian schools of the seven
teenth and eighteenth centuries.
The seventeenth century eclectics are
represented by Sassoferrato and Carlo
Dolci, and there are landscapes by Pa
gani, Zuccarelli, Demarne and others.
Near the drawing door hangs
one of Gilbert Stuart's portraits of
Washington, and beneath it a pic
ture of Colonel John Eager Howard,
the hero of Cowpens and of Eutaw
Springs. In the center of the west
wall, opposite the stairway arch, is a
striking painting by Thomas Sully, of
Eliza Ridgely, daughter-in-law of the
Governor, and beauty and heiress
of her day. She is represented as
standing at harp, the original of
which is now in the mushroom.
Over the dining-room mantel are in
teresting portraits of Captain Ridge
ly and his wife, by Heselius, pupil
of Sir Godfrey Kneller, and very
popular painter in Colonial Mary
land.
1t is but step from the dim light
Of the hall, and from its cid pictures
and furniture, out upon the south
porch, shaded by luxurirnt wis
taria. From here one looks down
upon grass terraces constructed in
s1oping ground to the south, and be-
yond them up to hills of pasture-land
and woods. The terraces are in two
principal levels, connected by broad
covered ramp.
The upper level consists of a low
embankment just before the house,
following the general contour of its
front, and of a broad lawn beyond,
shaded by cedars of Lebanon, larch,
purple beech, holly and red cedar.
The last, arranged in a row of six
along the edge of this level, shades
the visitor as he looks down upon ter
raced flower gardens below, or turns
for view of the house, which ap-
pears to great advantage from this
point on account of being raised upon
the low embankment an advantage
that the north front, which rests di-
--i is--.x~.- +l-. In rr,.s ,le>ees .sr>t s.s;e5S.
1t IS hard to say exactly what it is
that gives the house different look
from that which we are apt to associ-
ate with Southern work of the time;
but the difference is partly due to the
use of white stucco instead of red
brick, and to the unusually animated
skyline.
The lower, or garden level, fully
twenty-five feet below the house
lawn,-is divided into three very
wide but rather shallow terraces, upon
which flowers are planted in rectan-
gular parterres of comparatively SIM
pie geometrical patterns--two on each
terrace placed at either side of broad
central path bordered by immense fir
trees. This path is centered on the
axis of the house, and may be con-
sidered as the big hall extended out
doors. Marble vases, mounds of clip
ped box, and evergreen trees, are
cleverly placed for separating the
grass paths from the surrounding turf,
thus emphasizing the principal lines
of the design.
Originally both of the uppermost
parterres were of box, but that on
the west was removed about forty
years ago, to make room for beds of
colias. The eastern one had to be
reset about 1870, but its original pat
tern was preserved. The parterres
on the middle terraces are planted
very openly; but the rose gardens
below, have thicker and more lux
uriant growth, which is in pleasing
contrast to the trimness of the box
borders above. In the middle of each
of these lower parterres is a pic
turesque sophora tree terminating the
row of vases and tall plants which
mark the edges of the terraces and
the centers of the flower gardens.
West of the gardens are the green
houses and the gardeners cottage
and on the east, screened by a high
hedge of harbor-vitae, is the kitchen
garden. Beyond, down thickly
shaded avenue, lies the family bury
ing ground surrounded by a high
brick wall and entered through sim
pie wrought-iron gate. Near the
driveway, just west of the house
stands an old fashioned orangery.
Although there was an interval of
some twenty years between the COM
pletion of the house and the laying
out of the garden, they are in perfect
harmony. Each, constructed for
man who was leader in his COM
munity, was designed for large and
open hospitality and they both show,
trausplanted to this country, the in
fuences of Italy and of France as
they left their mark upon the man
sicns and gardens of eighteenth Gen.
tury England. But Hampton" is
not entirely of the old world for,
built during those critical years in
our history between the war of the
Revolution and the adoption of the
Constitution, It seems to express
cor,1ethin0 Of tf1e dionitv cir,oI;citx