The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-15
Replica Of Vesta Is Home Of Mi.
 George Ward

< A New York visitor to Birmingham, while driving about the city to view the typography and natural beauty, said that he was especially impr /sed with the beautiful trees and the diversi- fication of architecture of the houses and grounds. The latter is made easy by the valley, hills and soil which is 50 productive of horticultural development.
 A short time ago even South High lands was looked upon by residents who lived downtown as inconyenient and inaccessible for residential purposes. beautiful residential sights in the the mountain into Edgewood rapid comes a vefitable fringe of beautiful homes on Shades Mountain. Over looking those of Red Mountain down into the valley with it's lairiads of lights beyond, into the factories with their never, never-ending streams of smoke. dashing and curling into the high heavens. There are already many of these and more to follow soon. River side Drive and Manchester by the Hud. son is no more beautiful than these winding roads, mammoth stones. Won derful forests will be as a setting for houses. Diversifieation in development seems to be the watchword there. too, since no two homes are similar. Among those is the country estate of the Pas chal and Warner Shocks in one direc- tion. In another section of the noun. tain the John Weakleys some time since finished ther charning home. The Charles DeBardelebens have just about completed one of the most artstc and lovely suburban homes in the state. Mir. W. B. Mitchell and several asso- ciates expect to begin building before long on some of the most beautiful sites on the mountain. With the extension of the Country club golf links and up- building in the surrounding section to the club acreage, many more will fol- low. One of the most interesting devel- upments of the suburban home idea Is that of MT. George Ward. who last year bought several acres comprising one of the choicest sites on Shades Mountain. Th0 house is to be used as a summer retreat for this splendid Birmingham bachelor and is small. The architecture is most unusual, copying the Temple of Yesta at Rome, where for eleven centuries the vestal fires were kept burning and was con sdered the most sacred spot in Rome. Mir. Wards home is built entirely of native stone and concrete, being per. fectly surrounded by porch. IA feet wide. Twenty concrete columnb go the circle of the house, reaching to the roof. The living room occupies the space of the first floor. a spiral star leading 10 the sleeping porch on the second floor, in the basement, which is itself rounu, IS \ garage with room for four cais, also Ri b'hen, dining room and bath. The fencing of the grounds and much of the planting has already been ac- complished by Mir. Ward giving it his personal attention.
 No man ifi the district fs better known for his appreciation of the beau t1tul and his constant and steady ln- forest for several years in the City Beautiful. No citizen has more con. sistently in this regard practiced the Sqo thou and do likewise than has Mir. Ward. When he was mayor of Birmingham more years ago than his looks would justify one to imagine, started and pushed to its nth degree the idea of City, Beautiful. Laws were passed at his instieation forcing old fences to go. Flower seed, shrub bery and trees were presented to those who were not able to buy, and lessonA were given in how to plant and care for them. Prizes were given to the boys and girls for the heads Gf the destructive animals and birds.
 Un South Twentieth street and Thlr- teenth avenue, in a home made dear by the memory of his mother, Mir. Ward has oneSof the most beautiful formal gardens in the country, from which many a sick friends has received a glimpse of the outside by a basket of roses or sweet peas, or narcissi. This has for several years been the place de resistance during the simmer months for tired business friends or social gatherings. Moonlight nights or warm summer evenings, when the odor of jasmine running riot upon the tall fence, on the cool grass under onRs feet, the quiet of the green summer house in the corner, all conspire to make it ajoy to enter. Now Mir. Ward transfers, at least for time. his in- terest to the Temple of Vesta where he will add, cultivation to natural sur roundings. The front view overlooking the city, which on rainy afternoon recently looked like great ocean and on the same night following the rain DOW like jeweled tiara on the golden head of a new Columbia.
 All Birmingham is watching with interest this new development in the hands of one who loves to add art to the wonderful things with which nature has so abundAntly supplied Birming- ham.