The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-09
CK.C. Billings. Who Acquires
Magnificent Estate of 5000
Acres, viii Spend Much
Time There.
HORSE BREEDING TO
CONTINUE His HOBBY
Owner of Famous Lou Dillon
Will Breed Stock and Main
tain His Stables There---New
Owner Acquired Bargain
in Purchase of Fine Estate.


---------
When the steam yacht NanaalS,
belonging to .. *. e., l}t.Ili.Ss, Of New
York. steamed up the James river the
other day from Hampton Roads there
was much speculation as 10 rs des-
tination For this historic stream
bears much the same relation To the
residents along It's banks as the main
street of a country village does 10 JUS
Inhabitants, When any stranger ap-
pears every one wants TO know his
errand, for SO far AZ railroad commu-
nicatIon is concerned the James river
region Is as isolated as though IN
wilderness The river boats, Gay ana
night, stop at all the prH4eIpaI
wsharves and it ~ mainly by t6is
method of transit that travellers come
and &c and news IS carried.
IL II had been a modest houseboat
making It's way upstream there would
have been more or less wonder eX-
pressed, but when the big ocean going
Yacht, with It's crew Of some sixty
nrt.n. steamed majessically up TO-
ward Richmond ard tied up a. the
wharf at Curtis Neck * vas taken for
granted that some i'm portant transac-
lion was taking place = few days
later the announcement was made ifal
tha beautiful 5 coo acre estate belong
sugar fnaKna3e. Witch Aad under lis
supervision become one of the snow
ff-----+i
fYto the hands of MIR Billings,
Magnificent Property.
IL is q rnagnificcpt properly that
Nj Billings has bought. None ~ the
landed gentry ~ the Old Dominion
pegsessea a finer estate tnan this.
Not even ia the days when Virginia
was, 81 Thomas jefferson called H.
the garden spot OF the country. nor
at that earlier period when jts CaFahoT
settlers presided like fendal lords ever
their vast domains and the finest So
ciety OF the South centered here.
could those aristocrUtic patentces boast
OF greater magnincence,
On an emipeu commanding a su-
perb view Of the James, the Teruie
hills and valleys II Henftco county ana
the mountains beyond the house
stands II Is hutit in ola Cotehla9
style, Of great breadth a"d spacious
ness. Its porttCQ covering thre@-duar-
ters of the facade and upheld ny foAr
tall and graceful Grecian columns.
the house Is TIE equal IN point on
style and construction Of any q the
more historic mansions along the river:
Built of brick, with white to1ontai
trimmings, II carries with IL an &t-
mosphere OF dignity as wel as hos
AoA RS%RSkSN IA $50 - '@
breadth. it seems - welcome va.
open arms the stranger that comes 70
Its gates. Altogether. the house con-
eains upward If twenty rooms, from
each of which there ~ n c1mmandltig
view OF the surrounding country. inc
green fields, the blue skies o. oIe
V!rginny,' the low lying marshes
where the wild. ducks are found and
the dense cumberland. which IL not N"
least valuable feature of the property
The main portion of the house Is
two stories high, the extension toward
the west story and u half HUG.
chtmneys towering ehoTe the ROOF
at each end ~ tho Nah>l"h PROM ~
cheering open fires during the CRISP
DAYS of fall and winter, a Colonial
railing surmounts the flat portion OF
the roof. emphasizing the cid time all
which the effect on the Wlae piiareV
portieo gives The fanlight In the
peak overhead and the ornate cornlce
are both attractive features.
Mansion a show fiace. -.
Old English Ivy clinEs artsticallN
to the walls of the building and thrifty
box hedges cut in formal style flanR
the front steps leading TO the VeFahua
As may be imagined from the breadth
OF the house outside, the rooms are
enormous, so large indeed that AZ
average New York flat gould easily
be slowed away In one of them. From
the broad hall. open front and rear y
Southern style, noble staircase Wliia'
ND. forming gallery half way across
the rear of the hall. taen turnin'
again and mounting To the uppel
floor. The staircase Is Of white enam
elled woodwork, the hand railing o
polished mahogany.
Unfortunately the house itself hasn'
the perspective OF history, but tn
estate constitutes one Of the oldes
plantations in Virginia. 1t was takei
fsly IN Er ENhup4lS curt Wnt
" - = - .4,,,,o,+ 81 tba snot I