The Washington times., 1937-05-03
NOW
You Must See
'NOu Manor
FOR NOVELTY
BY HELEN ESSARY

NOW" striving always to keep
up with the mood of the moment,
has decided to open IT'S fine old
manor-house to the public on Sat
urday, May 8, from 6 in the morn
ing until midnight.
NOW Manor is regarded as the
finest example Of early Grover
Cleveland architecture still stand
ing on Newark Street.
The proceeds of the opening
(four bits at the door, pleaSe) will be
devoted to the restoration OF fam
lily relics and to the purchase OF
a new lawn mower.
Any surplus thereafter, weather
and attendance permitting, will be
used by the family in residence for
a short trip to get away from it all.
Antiouarians of the Gay Nine
ties regard NOW Manor as typical
Of the fricassee or cut-up period
that marked this country'S home
building at the beginning Of the
century.
The hand-carved dadoes, the
fretWork on the Set-out windows
of the third story, the sweep OF
the rail on the second story roof.
only partially concealing a pen OF
two white rabbits, reveal the I'M
aginative craftsmanship OF the
late Nineteenth century at its best.
The Doric pillars on the mano-
rial front porch introduce a simple
Greece Colonial elegance into the
general Victorian coyness.
Experts consider the porte
cochere, with it's heavily scrolled
Byzantine bulge, the purest sur
vival of the pre-NeW Deal morse
and-buggy era in existence.
NOW Manor's garden exempli-
fies such Christian virtues as
Faith, Hope, and letting Nature
do the rest. It's lockwood, bought
not long ago at a 1-cent sale at a
local chain store, gives promise OF
romantic perfection within the
next 10 decades.
The walk of flagstones collected
during the rock excavation for the
Uptown Theater, has at once
abandon and sense Of direction.
It leads to the important pre-
Raphaelite traSh-barrel whose in
dications bear witness to the fer
vor and strength of the every
Wednesday trash man.
Nearby, amid the ivy and
honeysuckle, stands on it's own
circular bottom modern gar
bage can, done in gray sheet-iron.
The top clamping down tight is a
concession to the nocturnal tastes
of dogs and cats.
Famous throughout the section
for their resistance to grass and
their lush May Towering of dan
delion are the terraces of this
early Grover Cleveland Manor
House. Abundant also at this
season are crisp sprouts from lit
tie acorns and at dusk is heard
the throaty mating call of bull
frogs in nearby handicapped pools.
Note: The slight irregularity in
the rhododendron, at the extreme
right of the Manor gardens front
perennial border, is the result of a
recent housemaid's determination
to put a bouquet on the piano.
The interior of NOW Manor is
distinguished on the first floor by
a hall and rooms. The same plan
is repeated on the second floor.
The third floor has been touched
by surrealist influence. It Sug-
gests a breakfast fruit motif:
Two peaches-and-cream bedrooms
with adjoining banana-tinted baths
and an orange attic or recreation
room.
For those desiring such refresh
ment, tea will be served two DIS
extra) in early Dulin and Martin
cups and saucers. The tea plates
chosen for this generous hospital
ity win be late Woodward andLo-
throp, The tea napkins, now be-
ing pressed by the laundress, are
the result of September clear
ance sale at a seaside linen shop.
Sara and Horace, in bandana,
plus-fours, chintz smock, clean
white aprons and "old maSsa"
smile, will be at the door. The lit
tie children of the neighborhood
in last years Halloween costumes
will pass the cake, while the three
household radios tune in on the
Grand Rapids furniture hour.
The proceeds of the opening Of
NOW Manor, as I said before, will
be devoted to the restoration of
ancestral objetS dart.
Such efforts will include repair
ing Of one waffle iron (top won't