Evening star., 1932-05-21
HOMEWOOD HOUSE
OPENED TO PUBLIC
Gift to Son Becomes Shrine
to Signer of Declaration
of Independence.
BY CHARLES MEssER STOW.

The Homewood House in Baltimore,
built in 1901 by Charles Carroll OF Car
rollton. for his son, Charles Carroll, Jr.,
as a wedding gift, was opened TO the
public with due ceremony on May IL,
and stands, the finest piece OF American
architecture of its period in the coun-
try, monument to the culture ana re-
finement of the early Repuonc ana
shrine to the signer of the Declaratlon
of independence whose accomplish
ments linger still in the minds OF
Marylanders.
The house is included among the
buildings of the Johns Hopkins Uni
versity, for in 1902 the institution ac-
oIired the Homewood estate, or the 125
acres that was left Of it, and removed
from the center of Baltimore to the
more commodiouS location.
In connection with its restored con-
dition a few names will always be asso-
ciated with it because but for them this
level among houses might not have
been preserved and certainly not in its
present condition of beauty. Mr.. ana
Mrs. Francis P. Garvan made possible
the restoration and DR.. and Mrs. r. L.
H Halsey are responsible for its carry
ing out SO that the colors of the wood
work are exactly as in the house orlgl-
nally. The Advisory Committee on the
restoration of the house included, pc
sides DR.. Halsey. James Bordley, Jr. b.
Howell Griswold, jr., and Fiske Kim
ball. The committee of the un1vers1tys
board of trustees consisted of Carlyle
Barton and DR.. J. Hall Peasants.
Typical of South.
The house is typical of Southern con-
ktruction. 1t is in the form of main
structure, one-storied, with wing on
each side connected by an inclosed pas
sageway One of these wings was Tor
the kitchen, which. unlike the New Eng
land kitchen, was not the focal point OF
the household, but was usually in a de-
tached building. The other housed an
office and library.
The front door leads into a large
hall with a smaller one behind 1t from
which branch the paSsagewayS into the
wings. At one side of the large hall
is the dinning room, at the other par
lor. On one side of the smaller hall is
a music room and on the other bed
room.
The crowning glory of the house is
the woodwork. Every room has a fire.
place, with no two mantelS alike, ana
each has a carved cornice and chair
rail Unlike many Southern houses, no
tably the Hammond -Harwood house in
Annapolis, the woodwork at Homewooo
is all carved by gouging; there is no ap-
piled ornament either wood or plaster.
But the delicacy of the carving is some
thing to marvel at.
The one feature of the restoration OF
Homewood which attracts most atten-
ton from those who study old houses Is
the coloring. To understand this it Is
nf
esthetic taste of the ariStocracy OF
America at the time the house was
built.
Shows French Influence.
It was Just at that time when America
had turned to an appreciation OF French
culture and styles-one of the few pc
riods when We have come under French
inf1uence-that Homewood was built.
Charles Carroll had received part OF
his education in France and he was
sympathetic with French taste. Be
sides he was friend of Lafayette. AT
that time the Directoire styles were the
vogue in France and America was re-
ceptive to them, more so than England,
because there was no political disturb
ance in our relations with France 1t Is
fortunate that Homewood was built be-
fore the Empire fashion set in. other
wise there would have been a prompous-
ness in the proportions which is happily
absent.
Now, in France at this time it was
the fashion to paint woodwork, espe-
cially that which was carved. in two
colors, and this is what has been done
at Homewood The carving itself is
more English than French, but the
coloring is distinctly Gallo. And best
of all, it is authentic.
Mrs. r. T. H. Halsey, who super
vised the decorating, in every room
found sufficient traces of the original
coats of paint to guide the mixture Of
the restoration. Thus, on all of the
woodwork. she was able to revive the
beauty of the two-toned effect. The
coloring used was not two shades Of
the same color, but contrasting tints.
The impression of great beauty is
gained from the delicate tones used, in
effect pastel shades.
Likewise in the curtains and draperies
absolute fidelity to the period Of the
house has been maintained. These,
too, have French feeling, especially in
the formality Of the window drapes.
All of the draperies are old, as are the
upholSteringS Of the furniture, and the
AubusSon rugs used are also of the be-
ginning Of the nineteenth century.
Rare pieces Of furniture from the
Garvan collection have been chosen,
among them many of Duncan Phyfe's
workmanship. The traditional Georgian
style is absent and the Sheraton infiu-
ence harmonizes perfectly with the
style Of the house.