The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-15
Palm Beach. a.. March 6. 1gO2.

of one of the old North States fair
daughters. 1 am sure it will be read
with much 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 a home. The cost of
ii from start to finish is hardly known
to even MIR. and Mrs. Flagler themselves.
/ have seen many of the pretty and cost
IL homes of people in London, Paris and
other foreign cities, but none to excel in
magniffcence 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
wcrld is Whitehall, the new home nry
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 1t is in natures garden
spot on the banks of Lake W ork, at Palm
Beach, Fla, Pilgrims with poetic fancy
will find in Whitehall beauties that are
grouped nowhere else on earth. To go
from room to room is to go from cen
fury 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 it's 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 so thorough that he who visits
it would be led to believe the struc-
ture was built hundred or more years
ago instead of being product of the
JreSent day, Just released from the
builders hands. Men have been working
day and night for 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
-enty feet high, with a dome in the
center upon which are decorations in
canvas representing the Growing of
knowledge" Cameo medallions typify-
ing the Earth, the Sea, the Air and the
Soil stud the ceiling and there arc
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. 1t
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 are richly carved in
Louis XIV design, covered with tapestries
and silk velvets. The clock is a master
piece in bronze, standing nine feet high
1t represents Time riding the world in
a cloud. The top is surmounted by rays
of 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 decorated pane
representing the marriage of Boccaccio
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
pyramid trees, ten feet high, stand neal
the windows to complete the color
scheme.
On the left of the hall is the library
which is of the Italian Renaissance pc
Rod 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 laces, and over
the mantel is a large oil painting Of Mr.
Flagler.
Aubusson tapestry furniture, carved
walnut chairs and a richly carved table
with Savonnerie rug in rich tones of rec
and border in gold, rare books and paint
ings complete the furnishings OF the IL
brary. One of its pieces is an old paint
ing representing the landing of Ponce d.
Leon in Florida.
As the music room is hung with mt
paintings it is actually an art gallery al
well and is designed after the Louis NV
period (size. 66x24 feeO. This room alst
has domed ceiling, treated with de
corative canvas panel of the aurora
which is lighted at night by invisible cleo
trio bulbs.
The pipe organ is the largest evel
placed in private house in this country
Every detail of color and design EN-
ployed in the decoration of the room i.
carried out in the organ case. A hand
some piano, Boucher panels, goes t.
make up a complete music room. Their,
are some subjects in Auhusson tanestr,