Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-04
FEATURES
AT NEW LETTER HOME
Farmhouse in the Midst Of 400 Acres on
Upper Potomac Now Near
ing Completion.

Z Through the long French windows Of
the dining room Of the country house on
the upper Potomac which is being COM
pleted by Joseph Letter an unusual view
is had of the stretch of the river as it
winds between high wooded banks. The
towers of the amusement resort of Glen
Echo can be seen q short distance to
the north above the masses of foliage.
Glimpses OF sections Of the Conduit road.
which lies on the face of the hillside
across the river, may be had. while to
the south Sycamore Island adds to the
picturesaueness Of the landscape.
The house stands on one of the high
bluffs past which the river rushes swiftly
until it is caught in the swirls and
miles and more below. The local name
for the great ridge which now forms
large part of the Letter estate is the
hog back" and when one gets general
view of the country and the billowy
masses of wooded heights and then in
tervals of cultivated fields the descriptive
qualities of the term are recognized.
Many Sites Available.
Mr. Letter had a wide range of choice
of site for his house. as his holdings
extend along the river from Little Falls
to a point nearly opposite Cabin john
a stretch Of nearly three miles, including
the entire frontage on the river and ex-
tending over an area OF more than 400
acres. A farmhouse away from the river
and some temporary buildings at the foot
of the highlands and along the level OF
the river were the only indications or
the presence OF man in the midst OF the
primeval forest when Mr.. Letter came in
of ho q
ago.
The place he chose for his house site
is mile and a quarter from the county
road which passes over the Chain bridge
and then on to Leesburg, Va, and TWO
order to get the building material from
the city to the proposed site Mr.. Letters
first undertaking was to build three
miles and q quarter OF nacadam road.
Has Regal Setting.
The new road through the Letter prop
erty has q straightaway course much OF
the way through the forests. The ir-
Of the country are overcome
by cuts and fills that give an easy and
almost uniform grade. The entertainments
which now are raw will be softened and
concealed by masses Of honeysuckle and
other creeping plants, while nature has
provided q regal setting, the stately
colonnades of forest trees. 1t is through
such an aisle and filing Its vista that
the first view Is given Of the house.
The approach is impressive, such as Is
sometimes attained after many years
of planting and Of care. The dwelling is
after the type of French farmhouse.
with its courtyard in front. formed by the
wings of the house. To the left Is the
garage, a low-lying frame building. and
while it might be expected the stables
would be on the other side, 1t is under
stood that Mr.. Letter has chosen another
site for the quarters for his horses at
some distance from the house.
The long slope of the roof resting upon
the house walls. that extend through
two stories, and in one of the wings
where the domestic department Is To-
Gated through three stories, is a
feature which suggests the security and
comfort OF a home. and that impression Is
not lessened by the chimney stacks of
native or Potomac stone. with their stur-
dy proportions. In fact, the chimneys are
really an essential part Of the design.
which, by the way, is the creation Of Mr..
Letter and was executed by the r. J.
Beall Construction Company. In the GEN.
ter Of the house they come up through
the roof, but in other parts they start
from the ground on the outside, and their
strong lines seem to impart an air OF
stability to the shingle-covered side walls.
Terrace Ends at River.
The principal rooms Of the main floor
Of the house. which number altogether