Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14

gether in Norfolk during downpour of
rain, which continued steadily for sew
eral days. Being congenial spirits and
we'll supplied with the finest of wines.
the two gentlemen whiled away the
time agreeably, drinking and playing
cards, with the result that when the
skies finally cleared, Sir Peyton had won
from his opponent the deed to Blue
stone Castle. named Prestwould by
Skipwith. This house is built Of stone
which was quarried on the place by
slaves. Impressing and inviting is the
mansion, furnished now as in Sir Pey-
toms day with probably the hand
soonest and most complete furnishing
of original furniture to be found in any
home in Virginia.
To the left of the house Is the family
burying ground. and below the yard.
looking toward the river is the burying
ground for the slaves. Both of these
graveyards are inclosed with stone and
brick walls.
The garden at Prestwould originally
contained five acres of ground tnclosed
by stone walls and was unquestionably
the outstanding feature of the place.
The box has grown to tree size,
as well as the crepe myrtles, f1g trees
and other old shrubs. Lady Jean kept
a garden journal, in which she made a
plan of her garden, listing the flowers.
giving both the botanical and common
names, stating where she had acquired
them, and how best to cultivate them.
Today the Skipwith homestead Is as
charming as when George III ruled
Virginia.
FURTHER up the Stanton River
near South Boston Is Berry Hill. one
of the Bruce homes. The grounds in
the park around the house contained
20 acres, surrounded by stone wall.
Just inside the stone wall Is hedge of
lilacs. The original box hedges edging
the garden are 80 feet high, but the
garden itself contained only 10 acres.
Gravel walks Is feet wide led through
the garden and were separated from
each other by grass plots so feet square.
These were bordered with flowers to a
width Of feet. The outstanding fea-
ture Of the place today is an Ailanthus
avenue one-half mile long leading to the
house. The common name for this tree
is "the tree of heaven" In this garden
are found all the old flowers that other
gardens of its time contained.
Crossing to the east side Of the
Stanton River at Brookneal, the first
place of interest is Red Hill, the home
and burial place of Patrick Henry. He
bought this plantation in 1894, and It
still remains in the possession of his
descendants The house burned several
years ago, but the beautiful box maze,
and the garden itself seems to have suf-
fered little. The writer Of this article
is the proud possesor Of the sun dial
from this garden, which was given her
by the present owner after the house
ht1rS ~ he a. -.
garden were sent from Mount Vernon
and other early gardens. Here one finds
long row Of fig trees. beds of white
violets. yellow jessamine blooming
among the box trees and many other
Towering shrubs.
The graveyard is near the garden and
is surrounded by hedge Of box. In
this are buried Patrick Henry and his
last wife, Dorothea cambridge, as we'll
as other members of the family.
On the same side of the Staunton.
River, several miles below Red Hill, il
another old Bruce place, known as
stanton Hill. The house contains 81
rooms and Is Of Gothic type. The
flower garden Is semi-circular, with a
background Of oak and forest trees, and
has for its feature roses. on the
grounds are many old trees Of various
kinds, particularly large magnolias,
which were in bloom when I was there
last year, and from the porch a view
across and up the Staunton River, I'M
equaled in that section Of the State.
From Brookneal we 60 to Lynchburg
The town itself grew up around q river
ferry, but the real centerS Of interest
there are two-Sweet Briar Plantation.
now Sweet Briar College. and Poplar
Forest, the most curious Of Thomas
Jefferson's many architectural WITNESSES.
Sweet Briar College, in Amherst
County, near Lynchburg, was estab-
lished by the viii Of Indiana Fletcher
Williams as memorial to her daugh-
ter. The Sweet Briar Plantation con-
tains 5000 acres and is in the Piedmont
section. The old plantation home with
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