Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-01-25
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
II ts=tn Old Broadway, Ple{pr ssaque
'gsfEw y English Villages VI

| When Mtry Anderson married NJ. dc
Navarro and retired from the stage
she went to another Broadway to live.
1T is as different from the one She left
| as sunlight is from the electric blaze
of the great white way.
| \ little quiet village in Worcester
shire in Old broadway. 1T was dis
i covered bv the artists about thirty
years ago. and some of them were wise
enough to buy for themselves the pic
turesquely solid stone Iouses char
acteristic 9f the place. This was the
| place chosen by the Navarros FOR their
| future home, and here they spend most
| of their time.
Their rambling house is at the top of
the winding street and at the foot OF
| the steer hill by which one crossed the
| lovely cotswolds. For generations
what is now one house served two
| farms as homeGteads, and when Nine.
| de Navarro first settled in Broadway
size was able to purchase the low
| er, or as it is still known. Court farm.
Her dear friend Miss Maud Valeria
White, the composer, was her neigh
| Dor, but when the famous composer
W as loit'u u ilNp ItCduSt vi
her health her house was acquired by
the owner CT Court farm. who connect
| ed the two and made one commodious
and extremely Interesting residence.
Viewed from the road Court farm is
a charact eristic Cotswold building. 1t
is composed entirely of local stone
with mullianed windows and heavy
sla,e roof. while the many gables add
considerably to it's picturesque effect
Tie back OF the house IS from an ar
tistic point of view perhaps more in
tcresting than the front. for here the
irraguiarity il the architecture is more
apparent.
The alterations and renovations
which it has been necessary to make
have been carried out in the true spirit
of restoration and in no instance has
the character been obliterated An old
thutched barn above the house has
been converted into a garden room,"
where Nine. de Navarro and her
friends often take tea while watching
games Of croQuet OF tennis on the ad-
jacent we'll Kept lawns.
And here. too, on warm summer
evenings coffee is served after dinner,
says the Gentlewoman. Another out
building has been converted into a
fives court. and near by an artificial
lake las been constructed. where Mas
ter Tony spends many hours sailing
his model yachts.
The grounds and gardens are eXten-
sive and beautifully laid out, as is only
to be expected when Alfred Parsons,
the famous artist, VAS responsible
therefore. Near the house itself are
fine lawns and artistic flower beds,
but as one aseends the slope up the
hin the old wild character of the coun-
try asserts itself. Here trees of mas
Sive girth flourish and wild flowers
grow in profusion, while a tiny stream
bubbling over the rocks and boulders
and crossed by a rustic bridge COM
pletes a scene of wild beauty.
Approaching the house one enters
the rose garden, where climbing roses
of various hues are trained over innu-
merable arches and other varieties.
both standard and bush. grow luXuri
antly. What a delightful peep Of the
old world is gained as one nearS the
little grass plot adjoining. Here. sur
rounded by fine ycW hedges Of fnnum-
cradle years growth. is q quaint old
sundial. The courtyard, too, carries
out the same idea, and what a pretty
glimpse of this is obtained from the
dining room windows. Varieties of
swings are arranged in the grounds,
on which charming little maiden. o
tiny replica of her mother, disports
herself.
If the exterior of the house and
grounds calls to mind the good old
days" the interior is even more i'm
prcssiye. A tiny hall containing anci-
ent oak furniture leads to large ar
tistically shaped lounge or inner hall.
This is neatly lined with valuable
books, MANY of the modern ones being
presentation copies from the authors.
while winding from the center of the
apartment is beautiful black oak
staircase whicl. delights the lover of
the antique. The walls are Of pan
elet oak and the ancient beams Of
the ceiling are black with age.
The fireplace is quite in character
with the rest and contains large open
hearth with iron dogs and bucket for
the fire itself Above the whole lang
tho Old tixings, met in only the very
fen old farm houses in the Cotswoio
district. and suspended thcrefrom is a
huge black iron kettle. How homelike
are the faggots which blaze away dis
.peiling the winters cold and throwing
brilliant light into the room, at the
same time casting deep shadows into
the many hooks and the walls and
tables, but perhaps one of the most
valued possessions is a framed stole,
most beautifully embroidered in gold.
purple and scarlet, which was worn
by his Holiness Pope Leo XIII. and
presented ta NJ. and Nine. de Navarro
by Father Bernard Vaughan.
A fine easement window with deep
window seat looks out onto the gar
den. Leading from here is the school
room, where many childish possessions
are displayed and away toward the
other wing is the huge music room,
also oak pareled, and still further
Nine. &c Navarro's sanctum ana the
study of NJ. de Navarro. The right
wing contains the comfortable, artis-
ticdlly lighted dining room. conVen-
iently situated with regard TO the
kitchens.