The Washington times., 1935-07-17
NOW
Historic Homes
Of H1rriSOnS
THE BRANDONS
BY HELEN ESSARY

BrandonS, about which am
talking today, have more def
nitely the manner Of English
country houses than any of the
famous James River group.
The Brandons, sometimes
called Brandon and Upper
Brandon, occupy most of that
peninsula not far from James
town, granted first to John
Martin, one Of those who came
over in 1907 with Christopher
Newport and John Smith.
Martins Brandon, as the
grant was first known, included
1000 acres. It eventually came
into possession of the Harrison
family in 1920, whose descend.
ants owned it for 200 years.
Two Of the Harrison family Of
Virginia have been Presidents
of the United States, William
Henry Harrison and Benjamin
Harrison.
It is supposed that Brandon
was standing when Benjamin
Harrison, the third Of his name
in Virginia, lived there with his
first wife, Anne Randolph, Of
Wilton, and his second wife,
Evelyn Taylor Byrd, niece Of
the, romantic Evelyn Of West
over.
When Benjamin Harrison
died, the ancestral house,
Brandon, was inherited by his
son, George Evelyn Harrison.
The western half of the PENN.
sula went to his second son,
William Byrd Harrison, who
built Upper Brandon on it.
Upper Brandon is a hundred
years younger than Brandon.
Alphabetically it is like its
namesake, large, spreading,
with the square two-storied
brick central building con-
nected by inclosed one7story
brick passages with square two
story brick wings.
Both BrandonS have roman
tic gardens and, until recently,
the furnishings and portraits
Of generations of famous occu.
pants.
Brandon, the older mansion,
Is set far back from the shore
of the James in grove Of
trees. It's garden is as beau
tiful and romantic as only a
garden loved and tended for
200 years can be.
Boxwood grows close to the
house and extends in formal
line beside q grassy walk lead
ing to a great terrace more
than 100 feet deep. Beyond the
terrace the garden continues
many. feet more down to the
river.
There Is a grove of magnolia,
yews and sycamores at Bran.
don. Growing in and about
their roots is natural wild fern.
A walk three miles long, cut
through the heart of the green
forest. is lined with dogwood-
making beautiful vista in
both spring and fall.
The oaks around Brandon
have grown so tall in their dig
nified age that they tower sub
timely above the house and
shadow it's white columns and
porticos.
Since the main part of Bran
don was built first Git is now
owned by Mr.. and Mrs. F.
Otway Byrd, wings and cor
ridors were added until now
the house reaches out for a
great length along the river
bank. It's additions have been
tackled on like uncertain stair
steps, a few feet down and then
up in the world again.
No SNUG imitation of ar old
house could steal the solid, en-
during look of Brandon, or the
ease of us informal architecture.
Such assurance comes only after
centuries of existence.
The now scattered Brandon
collection of portraits was ia
NOUS. It included the Westover
portraits brought to Brandon
by Evelyn Taylor Byrd when
she married Benjamin Harrison.
Probably nowhere in this
country could have been found
such q private gallery Of i'm
portant early Americans and Of
English friends of the William
Byrd who built Westover.
Some of the canvases were by
Sir Godfrey Kneller. Sir
Thomas Lawrence, Sir Peter
Lely, the elder Peale and other
early American artists.
Until recently the portrait of
the first Evelyn Byrd hung in
the drawing room of Brandon.
It shows the tragic and constant
maiden (she was supposed to
have died of broken hearth in
a simple white frock, with grace
full Shepherdess hat over her
demure curls. Above her head
Cardinal bird is painted in
his vivid colors-a pretty com.
pliment to the prominence of
the Byrd family.
Among the canvases Of the
English and American ariStoc.
racy is the portrait on the din
ing room wall of the clerk of
the Virginia House Of Burgesses.
a Mr.. Waltho. who presented
his portrait to Colonel Byrd