The sun., 1919-05-18
'Wendover Home
Of w. P. Bliss, Is
, One of the Show
Places of the
Neighborhood
nv HARRIET sIssoN GILLESPIE.


Bernardsville, N. j., is colony Of
gentlemen farmers millionaires, most
OF them. and good Americans all. No
residential section anywhere about New
York is more unique than this lovely bit
Of country, rising some 1000 feet above
the level of the Yea and commanding. as
II does, twenty-five mile sweep Of
country in every direction. 1t is not
alone tho beauty of scene that distin-
cuisines il from other communities, al
though 1t is seldom surpassed. but the
Fact that the millionaire owners of the
beautiful homes that dot the solitary
hills composing such a curious topo-
graphical formation in Somerset county
are farmers in every sense of the word
They can say they play at farming, but
the methods pursued are the last word
in the modern agricultural system as ad-
vocated by the United States Govern
ment.
During the war Bernardsville's gen
tenen farmers gave a good account
OF themselves, and the big estates,
through intensive cultivation. were made
TO yield thrice their usual quota Not
only did every last man OF them observe
tie letter of the law in regard to con-
eervation in order to give every dollar
they could to help carry on the war, but
their wives and families did the same.
Every inch of available ground was
titled. even fine lawns were upturned,
fortified and planted to corn, wheat,
rye. potatoes and other vegetables, and
the housewives put up preserves canned
vegetables and "Hooverized" TO the last
degree.
wendover n Model Farm.
Wendover. the home Of Walter Phelps
Bliss, became one of the model farms Of
the Bernardsville colony. Three hun
dred acres of ground on the fine estate,
one OF the most superb In this section,
was ploughed up and planted to war
crops for Uncle Sam. And SO wendover
has emerged from the war with a proud
record back Of II and, with the rest Of
the millionaire estates, will come in for
recognition IL ever this interesting
phase of war history Is written.
The house Is one OF the most dlgnified
and beautiful in Bernardsvilles colony
OF gentlemen farmers" 1t Is perched
atop a hill reached by the main road
from the station which winds in and
out among the Blue Mountain foothills,
pursuing a constantly ascending grade
until the plateau on which the house
stands is reached. where there Is spread
out panoramic spectacle of earth and
SKY. Every window of the house frames
twenty-five mile view Of picturesque
scenery.
Designed by Has & weekes architects.
of New York. the house is not only
wonderfully well suited to the site but
has been made an intimate part of the
setting by judicious planting. From the
broad stretches OF greensward~ that
SKIRT the foreground, dotted by tall trees
and hedged in by luxuriant shrubbery,
one gets view of corn fields and roll
ing meadows, of fertile valleys and for
est glades until the succession of wooded
promontories in the distance cease to
take definite shape and are lost in the
haze Of the horizon.
The house. a massive structure, is
strongly suggestive of an English coun-
try house. although the plans have been
adapted to suit the location. which pro
sented a number of interesting problems.
The latter related not only to grades
but 10 certain important features which
the owners desired to incorporate. The
plans, which form five sides of a huge
octagon with the base toward the
southeast, were so designed as to make