Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11

York's Central Park laid out and executed ne
grounds and gardens in a setting of natural
beauty that had as a background one of the
most maSStvely impressive mountain ranges in
Eastern America.
Five years under construction, the house has
40 massive bed rooms, besides the drawing and
billiard rooms, library. galleries and servants
quarters. The foundation Of the main building
covers four acres of ground.
Entering from the front, a small court to the
right and outside of the doors has q Romano
esque Italian foundation that is of the eight
zenith century, while the portals are guarded by
two italian lions that were standing on the
grounds OF an estate in that sunny land 200
years earlier.
The large central hall encompasses q court
OF palms, circular sunken marble area that
contains many kinds of ported plants arranged
around the low walls, with light fIterin@
through a domed glass ceiling In the center
Is fountain by Bitter-a graceful figure Of Q
boy and swan. Growing in the pond of the
fountain are water flowers and grasses; canaries
raise sweet voices in song, and from its perch
brilliant Brazilian macaw views all with o
speculative eye.
Opening from the walls of this court, which
are partly covered by British Museum copies OF
the frieze in the Parthenon of Athens, is the
entrance to the banquet hall (the unusual size
OF which has already been mentioned). Flank
ing the lintels stand statues Of Joan of Arc and
OF st. Louis. Carved above in Latin Is tha
motto "Give Peace, God, in Our Time"
Conspicuously displayed over the triple IRE.
place is the outstanding work Of Bitter in the
shape OF a panel depicting "The Return From
the Chase" high-relief in native black walnut
The room Is copied after similar one in an
old Norman castle, so the two Gothic thrones
facing the entrance are in keeping Across one
end balcony has a balustrade carved b.
Bitter that runs in front Of a pipe organ, and
high over the f1replaces at the opposite end of
the room hang q group of stated flags Of az
the great powers of Europe at the time a
Columbus discovery of America
On this nrst floor are the oak drawing roonAA
paneled In Norwegian oak, with floor to match:
the print room and the dining room, whose
walls are covered with embossed Spanish leather
and which has q fireplace of blue Wedgwood
tiles with the white figures in bas-relief
Finally, the tapestry gallery, 80 feet long ana
50 feet wide, with one rug stretching down the
parqueted floor. The walls hold three Flemish
tapestries OF the late fifteenth century repre-.
senting in order, Prudence, Faith and Charity.
Between these pieces hang family portraits.
three Of note, George Vanderbilt, his mother
ana MS wife, all painted by Sargent
TO one side of the twin flreplaces sits a sofa
OF French tapestry of the period of Henry
III; to the other side one dating to Louis XIV.
all chairs matching the latter piece On the
cabinets placed between the windows there is
much interesting Dresden ware, including IA
porcelain candleSticks that bear the mark Of
the imperial Austrian arms evidently obtained
from private royal chapel.
SpArallng up for three floors from the left Of
the front DOORS the grand staircase rises with
no support other than its own arched con-
struetion And down from the lofty ceiling
through the temple-like openings thus formed
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