The Washington times., 1935-07-06
NOW
The Miracle of
Tulip Hill
ITS NEW GLORY
BY HELEN ESSARY

Maryland, large, deserted man.
sion.
Even in it's state of neglect,
Tulip Hill was the sort of house
one likes to visit.
Often the young people of the
neighborhood would give i'm
promptu dances there. Their
elders, when they wanted a rose
bush, would think of Tulip Hill.
OF its gardens, sloping down for
almost mile to the river banks.
OF its brave old plants, strug-
Cling to bloom through persis-
tent weeds.
At Christmas time one could
always find holly at Tulip Hill.
Great trees of it. Remnants of
the majestic holly hedges that
once grew in a formal circle
around the gardens edge. And
boxwood! It was there in
clunps and borders. Healthy
roots could be obtained easily
If one dug long and deep.
On Tulip Hill was wonder.
ful place for pleasant poaching.
That is, as long as the bushes
and flowers lasted. After three
or four years of such popularity,
there was no shrubbery at the
old Galloway place. 1t had gone
to grow and blossom in neigh
boring gardens.
The box paths that Samuel
Galloway. one of the Colonies
richest tobacco planters, and a
ship-builder besides. had ordered
when he built Tulip Hill in
1745 for his wife. Anne Chew,
the Quaker preacheresS, were
but memories.
The holly hedge was reduced
to stumps and shriVeled, broken
branches. The mansion itself
though it survived these care
less days-had had many un-
happy experiences. Its lovely,
panelled front drawing room
was used as a chicken brooder.
It's equally lovely back drawing
room was turned into a stor-
age room for grain.
Rats flourished happily every.
where. Young men of the
neighborhood took to rat shoot
ing as an amusing sport. One
boastful marksman swore to
$50 pot shots during one visit.
And yet half a million rats
survived. So he said.
In the attic of Samuel Gallo
ways fine mansion where the
rafters and beams as big as a
mans body still stand, firm in
testimony of the careful ways
of pre-Revolutionary builders,
several families of contented
snakes raised their adventur-
Gus children. Tulip Hill, now
appreciated as one of the very
finest examples of Georgian
Colonial architecture to be
found in America, seemed to
belong to no one in particular.
About this time Mrs. Henry
H. Flather bought Tulip Hill.
She says the 50-year-old oaks.
dropping lindens, shiny beaches
and the grove of tulip poplars
were almost worth the price OF
the mansion.
Naturally, the house and the
garden, too, demanded a mira
Gle of restoration. Mrs. Flather
" set prayerfully to work and &C.
complished a most sympathetic
lob with the house. She even
persuaded the gardens into
o second blooming.
I Tulip Hill was planned for
hospitality. On it's garden or
river side is a welcoming
hooded doorway, much copied
by modern architects. It is
shaded by a shell portico, held
by carved brackets. On each
side of the hood and surmount-
ing it's peaked roof are conven-
tionalized tulips. A smiling Gu
pid ornaments the center of
the portico on the land en-
trance.
Through the wide, opened
door at the river end of the
hall one sees the terraces of
the garden. Pausing now and
then to blossom with roses and
larkspur and hydrangeas it's
low terraces end at a grass
walk and a wharf where small
pleasure boats are moored.
In the halls the builder Of
Samuel Galloways mansion
centered his best efforts. The
stairway is particularly interest
ing. 1t is placed behind dou.
BILE arch Of finely carved wood,
in design not unlike the double
arch at GunSton Hall.
The steps are low and the
balustrades and hand rail are
of solid mahogany. At the foot
! of the stairs is a corner cup
board, with arched top and
heavy doors and hinges. A
glimpse inside the doors reveals
exquisitely carved shelves and
above an elaborate design re.
Sembling a conch shell.
The rooms on both floors are
generally large and square. The
window frames are deep set and
the door is deep set, too. Yet
despite this frankneSS of design,
Tulip Hill is a surprising house.
Colonial houses have that
characteristic of the unexpected.
One comes suddenly nnnn nneer