The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-16
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5NNE GENEAE0 Gf CAT COLUMN

aaASE-.
In order to impress upon our readers
the fact that the Rappah annock neigh
borhood was tho most populouPor ali
the big river settlements. we Will agar
go over the mansions which even now
can be enumerated. OF course the
places OF many Of them know them lie
more, but of those which stand VIC
have mentioned Mansfield. Smithfield
Snow Creek, Newport Hayheld and
country from Hayneld and not quite
on the river, were Santee and
Prospect Hill. the beautiful homes OF
Sam and Basil Gordon. Esquircf and
Moss Neck and Farley Vale. the splcn-
4 did homes Of the Corbins.
| These Corbins were magnificent
planters. living in great state and
lavish to the verge of prodigallty. At
! one time 900 Graders cut wheat In one
tremendous field, and at the Eagle
Hotel and Baugllman's in Fredericks-
1 burg. ono of the Corblns kept per-
inanent table for the entertainment of
his friends who came to the famous
Fredericksburg races Nothing small
about him. Coming down the river.
there are Little Falls, once . resi-
Forest. tho homo OF Edward Fitzhugh;
Snowden, owned by the AleXunders
and the Morsons; Hollywood. owned
by the Alexanders and N1orsons; Pow.
hatan, the home OF Edward Tayloe
Cleve; the celebrated Carter home,
which has passed through many hands;
Popcastle; Canning, the home of the
Smiths; Bellegrove. owned respectively
by the Turner's and Demands; Walsing-
lam the Turner estate: Port Conway,
where the little bookworm, James
Madison. was born: Port Royal the lit
tie town of beautiful houses, where
comfort and culture went hand in hand
long. long ago; Camden, tho lovely nome
OF the Pratts. still in the family; Oak
enbrow. the home of the Tayloes also.
BunkeraIIill. where Henry Tayloe lived,
Mount Airy. the famous Tayloe estate;
Sabine Hall, another Carter home: Is
land Plantation, where the Broeken-
brouGhs lived; MAYORS Hole, the cele-
Drated Fauntferoy estate; Tuppallan-
mock. another little town once tho
stronghold OF tho Virginia mobility.
Then comes MiddleseS. once SO pow
erful in wealth, and pride. and here we
may say that tho Rappahannocl1
reaches tho very high water mark OF
perfect architecture in the Roseglll
Mansion. onccsthe home of the Worme-
leys. Not even MISSIONER is equal to
1t in situation or commodiousness. We
make this glossary for two reasons:
One is to carry a point. which is ali
ways worth Il great deal of trouble;
the other is to try and induce the scions
of these interesting old places to tell
us all they know about them. This
column has laudable purpose. 1t is
It's cndeavor to save history before 1t
is IRE trievably lost. If the history OF
famous English or continental estates
possesses fascination for us across
tho waters, how mucl, greater will be
the interest of Vrginians for the
homes of Virginia, which represent the
most picturesque and romantic phase
OF American history Tho country
homes OF the poor of the present day
are too pathetic to WOO contemplation.
The country homes Of the rich are dis
tlnctly luxurious aud commonplace, for
| they are all alike; the same electric
lights. the same furnaces which Will
or will not heat, the same furniture,
the same hangings, the same food, es-
lpecially the same food. They are eat
ing this or that In NeW York" (It is
raining In London so to speal), and all
great houses begin to concoct the
fashionable article, be 1t meat or drink.
Great feasts at country and city
| houses are brought from afar, and
frequently also the hands to serve
them. and they are all alike. Who
ever would have the courage3to give a
| reception without chicken salad-even8
| II it is made of turkey? To the in
! decorous this very salad sometimes
| becomes monotonous. In these old
houses each mistress had an especial
IL. ,.t,.t,,
woods coffee, Mrs. Thornton's mincc
Piles. Mrs. strothcrs fruitcake, Mrs.
Jones's eggnog, and Mrs. Smiths
Brunswick stew No receipt could be
| exactly reproduced because 1t was
| generally q pinch and N taste. 1t is
those distinctive .pinchcs' and
tastes" of dress, conduct manners
and food which characterizcd the free
and Individual life of those mansions
which we would like to have---the
traditions as well rs the ock-bottom
facts of Old Virginia we would chron-
ice TO the minutest particular ii we
could
In those great and perhaps rather
bare mansions of Old Virginia, which
were independent and not stereotyped
there was peculiar indiyiduallty
which should be preserved, The SER
wants mad different aid unique traits:
the hearths held their own peculiar
burden of brass and wood tile tn
bles were adorned sllnptuoyislN or Geo
nomically8as tho master sslllea; char
acter, taste and daily expenditure ass
sumcd lust such angles aud curves gns
the individual preferred, ana tho
chronicle of 1t will increase in in-
terest as the years roll, on, Let us
preseryc all that We can.
This is ,l8plea for all those who
know the history OF those places in
1.-THE Rappahannock country 70 col.o
and help us, This isnot play, nor Is
ZIG Ia tlckle personal vanity, or ~
I5laud any one Or twolamiliesf y is an
effort to add our mite to Virginia
lhIstory and gcnealosS
We arc happy to say that we lave
aroused Tie interest Of some of the
people in VirEinu IN tho old mansions
ana historic localities, and our mail
ls fun Of genealogical tldbits which
va will use as fast as we cam
&)ur most Valuable recent addition
III VIZ series OF contributions from the
8.fuilf, memory Fuf Judsn BEVERLEY
@Ranuolph Wellford. 4Tis interest m
%our RappallannoGk country has induced
8him ~ record forSls whet he knows
about III land WI nre ltr9ut M III ~ =