The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-08-23
RED HILL

OF tutlpDell n Charlotte
counties, Is n splendid colonial
mansion, green-hllndcd and with n
brass-knockcrcd doorway that opens on
a formal boX.hcdgcd pathway flaukcd
by a sun dial at the end of the walk.
II is only one of hundreds of historic
homes In this beautiful state. but rs
"tcd HILL" the last home and resting
place of Patrick Henry. IL Is beloved
by every Virginian and is also regard
ed M n shrine by all patriotic Amer!-
cans from coast to coast.
The Red 1Iill NJ yesterday consisted
Of a 2.000-acre plantation, thus named
because of tine red-brown soil. For two
years after Patrick Henry bought the
place he divided his time between II
and his Long Island plantation ~ miles
further up the river. Meantime, how
ever, he became so attached to Red
Hill that he decided To spend the re-
mainder of his days there. and accord.
ingiy removed there In 1906, making
no changes In the architecture Of the
a shed In order that he might hear the
patter of the rain or the roof, writes
Louise Il. Dew. In Grit.
The Red Hill Of today has been re-
Gently remodeled along colonial lines.
hut adjacent to the house stands the
same little hip-roofcd "cookhouSe' or
kitchen. always n feature of the ante
bellum home, and over which presided
red-turbanncd. white.halred "Aunt
Becky" and her klnky-headed minions.
all Of whom loved and re%verenccd the
"marster' with all his kith and kin.
His Office and Tomb.
Nearby, stands the dimlnutive "of-
flee" in which Patrick Henry transact
ed all the plantation affairs. Further
on, nt the end Of the old~-fashloncd gar
den inclosed by n lockwood hedge 30
feet square. lie his remains marked nv
nm ohlong slab of marble bearing the
inscription OF his name. the date Of his
birth and death. and the simple words:
Ellis Name Is His Best Epitaph.'
Under the adjoining slab rest the re-
mains Of his wife. Doro'hca cambridge.
TO whom he left his estate for life as
follows:
81 do give 10 my Snid wife all my
lands AZ and adjoining my dwcllin.
place called Red Hin. to be
held during her life with 20 slaves. her
choice Of them all. :, her death the
said lands are 70 he divided at her dis.
cretion."
From that day to this the home of
Patrick Henry has boon j~calously
guarded by his descendants.
In the restoration of Rod IIill the
colonial character of the building has
been preserved and added Ia without
In any way departing from the lines
which Patrick Henry knew and loved.
The woodwork inside the house IS
white: tall mnntels and big fircplaccs
Il 10 its quaint character. The brass
locks represent part Of the fee In the
famous Randolph cnse when Patrick
Henry saved the life of Richard, broth.
or OF that eccentric genius John Ran
dolph of Roanoke. The old.faShioned
garden has been restockcd with shrubs
from Mount Vernon and the landscap.
ing done by the brother Of the gar.
dener NJ Mount Vernon who was his In.
structor.
Has a Beautiful Location.
Red Hill Is superbly situated. On
the north II looks out upon the Blue
Ridge with the lofty peaks of the Otter
plainly visible although 90 miles dis
tant {; on the south n serpentlne stretch
Of the Staunton valley. varying In
width from Il quarter Of n mile to n
mile. the banks of the river cleaning
with giant onks and holly trees from
which the Spanish moss trails and gar
lands like fantastic pruIdlcal boards.
II was recently my privilege to visit
In Richmond. Va. at Rosecroft, tn,
home OF Mrs. Elizabeth Henry Lyons,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES OF Patrick Henry,
who Inherited with her brothers Red
Hill, and 10 see there many relies Of
her famous ancestor besides numerous
letters and documents yellowed with
age and creased by times fingers.
There stands In b~as-relief n day
spent In visiting the historic spots OF
Richmond. One incident particularly
Is recalled with peculiar Significance
nj this crisis In our world affairs. Rev
erentiy sitting In the cathedral-twlllght
Of old st. Johns church, In the very
pew where Patrick Henry stood when
he delivered his famous speech before
the second Virginia convention, March
20. 1775, l closed my eyes, plcturing the
scene as II must have appeared that
day 40 long ago. There were all the
great men of the day, including George
Washington, Jefferson aud many 9TH
ers. some of whom had Travelled long
distances To he present, filling the pews
10 overlooking. even to the window
lodges outside, and In their midst an
orator delivering himself Of words OF
fire. even ms did ST. Paul at Athens Of
old. Suddenly n voice broke my reverie
and the stiffness of the church. II was
our old guide repeating the words Pat
rick Henry uttered n century and q