The Washington times., 1935-11-11

US dS Lar dS lie SrcdL Wu4L0 u
Of hospitality which the mer
The central hall, with its walls
covered with scenes Of France
divides the house into two inter
esting parts. On the left, as one
enters, is the summer house, u
which the family uses for its
gatherings, reading and whatnot
from May until ow. and when
the days grow short and chill
the family usually devoteS its at.
tention to the other wing.
First is the blue room, with
its artistic panelling and brocadeo
hangingS and furniture from
which it gets its name.
French Mantel
In it is a handsome marble
nantel which was brought to
this country by Lafayette, q fre.
Quent visitor at Belmont as a
guest of Ludweu Lee who built
It in 1896 from bricks made right
there on the estate.
Another interesting object Is
the tall, graceful blue vase-lamp
which was giver to Mrs. Hurley's
father, Admiral Henry 3. Wilson,
by the school children Of Brest,
On beyond this room Is the
sun parlor, all done In gay blue
and gold-quite proper colors for
q Navy daughter to have In her
home. There are interesting little
potted plants arranged here and
there before the org windows.
A splendid bust Of former
President Hoover, done by Haig
Patigian, stands at the far end
of the room beside, the door lead.
ing into Mr.. Hurley's den.
The den, which was also the
den Of Ludwell Lee, is a cozy
affair, with soft rose drapeS and
a huge stone fireplace over which
hangs an impressive array Of
Philippine knives.
Opposite this, across the room,
Is the handsome walnut desk
which also belonged to Mr.. Lee
and upon which many historical
documents were written, by the
host and his visitors, for he had
aS his guests, in addition to La
fayette, such men as Gen. Robert
e. Lee and Gen. "Stonewal" Jack
son.
Garden Still Blooming
The den opens onto a terrace
from which one can see Sugar
Loaf Mountain, a sweeping view
Of Virginia, and in the distance
the skyline Of the Capital. In
the garden, around to the back,
the color scheme is again the blue
and gold, and even now, with
the chilly blasts from the North,
it is abloom in q glorious pro-
fusion.
The dining room, which is
directly behind the central hall.
has hangingS Of a luscious shade
Of rich red. In it hang ancestral
portraits. One is Of James viii
son, great-grandfather Of the tall
blond "lady of the house."
An interesting piece of silver is
the large Shell-Shaped bowl, made
centuries ago by the 1ncas, before
Columbus ever thought Of sailing
westward, and presented to Ad'
miral Wilson by the secretary OF
foreign affairs Of Peru in 1921.
Out into the hall again and past
the tall, stately, old Dutch clock
that solemnly ticks on-paSt the
stairs, with their graceful ban
mister, that lead UP to the landing
where stands the country'S flas
and its companion, the scarlet silk
embroidered flag Of the Secretary
Of War-one enters the CHEEKY
"winter house"
Here the rooms are all deco
rated in warm pinks and bright
cretonneS. In the first room-the
music room-which is rose and
white, there is portrait Of Mrs
Hurley smiling down from the
wall facing the windows.
CHEEKY Fire
The next room, the library, was
originally the covered way'' from
the kitchen to the main house
This the Hurleys had enclosed.
When we entered the room
logs were blazing merrily away In
tha fireplace and wee Mary with
her big blue eyes and golden curls
clutching her dolly" was tucked
way back into a corner behind a
huge inviting chair. When discov
cred, she Immediately came forth
and quantity curtSied and chatteo
with her elders. Her sister, Ruth
who had returned from school in
Leesburg, and was with us fol