The Washington herald., 1922-10-29
Odd Bits of information OF
Old Houses and GardensI
Gn,,ston Hall Loyely.

very colonial and winds about tvtca
and ends above In an srchsd h.lil
way that 10 unusual and extremelv
pretty. And the bed rooms. they
are perfect. 80 colonial. 10 dainty
and 30 useabie. n modern hestinx
system has been Installed In tns
house but you can hardly ma n.
g has been skiifuiiy hidden under
window iedges and other similar
places. The dainty window curi
tains. bed spreads. lamps; all IN
such harmony. And the views ono
got from the bed room Window
well. can't imagine anything more
desirable than . home like ounston
Hall. ghost and all-for I hear
there 10 q ghost
Mrs. Minnigerode Andrews was
telling me something interesting
while at 0unston Hall Tuesday.
She. you know. owns the lovely es-
tate. "vauxcleuse." near Seminary
Hill. about eleven miles from wash
ington In Virginia and some miles
from Gunston Hall. but she said the
latter place was cut from an origi-
nal land grant Of some $4,000 acres.
Of which 'vauxcieuse- was the
homestead. Gunston was part OF
the vauxcleuse estate originally be-
fore George Mason built there.
vauxcieuse was the Peyton estate.
I believe. The minister at Pohick
Church told us SO many interesting
things about the history Of that
church. too; Il was fascinating but
too long to repeat now.
Many OF the historic homes and
gardens about Washington were
thrown open to the Garden Clubbers;
also some not 30 historic but beau
tiful like the Aztec gardens of the
Pan-American Union Building.
where DIR. L 8. Rowe acted as
hcst. when Albert Kelsey. ssso-
ciate architect Of the building and
designer Of the Aztec garden, gave
q talk on the gardens
octagon House and its old walled
garden were visited and they are per-
haps two Of tht most interesting old
places in washington Built IN I7ss
by DIR. william Thornton for GEM
John Tayloe. it was occupied by
President James Madison. after the
burning Of the white House by the
British in 1914. It was here that
the treaty OF Ghent was signed.
ID BELLEVUE. the present residence
u OF John NewboId. was restored
by him in 1919. 100 years after it's
occupancy by Charles Carroll who
acquired it q number OF years after
It was originally built In George
town # is generally referred to as
the Rittenhouse house" ~ the Rit-
tenhouses occupied it for years. b
Bellevue dates back TO Dolly
Madison's day and the day OF Or.
Thornton. who was a painter as well
as an architect and limned wash
ington and Jefferson; was q poet.
too. and matched wits IN verse with
John Randolph. OF Roanoke" Belle
vue is let to Representative Ogden
Mills. Of New York. II was the
home OF the Brambillas during the
last two years Of their stay in
Washington = chevalisr Brambilla
being then counselor Of the italian
Embassy and married to a daughter
of the late George Won Lengerke
Meyer. who held two Cabinet posi-
tons and was later American AM
bassador to Italy. They loved the
old-time atmosphere OF the place and
were accustomed to rather mock at
q modern addition. q sort Of q sun
parlor. which they dubbed "'Fiume.'
because Il should have been italian
but isn't"
Next to its goodly heritage, how
ever. Bellevue's chief claim to fame
CONTINUED OK PAGE SIX.