Evening star., 1938-03-15

lining the resolutions later incorpora
States. He was profound and origi-
nal thinker and knew the loneliness
OF men whose far-seeing judgment sets
them beyond the understanding Of
their contemporaries. He was not am
bilious and never sought public office.
He was the friend and adviser to
George Washington and many other
important men of the day, and great
power in framing the plans and the
laws for the governing of the new
country.
George Mason knew intimately the
country surrounding his childhood
home: he had hunted and ridden over
it many times, so that it is not strange
that when he was ready to build his
own home he selected the loveliest
spot on the Potomac. Here wide,
deep point of land juts into the river
and by fencing the narrow neck of
the peninsula, the whole estate could
be shut of from the mainland. The
construction of the house took nearly
three years and it is evident that he
planned and enjoyed every minute Of it.
In those days there were no archi-
tects-as such. Houses were planned
by the master of the house accord
ing to his taste and needs. Then a
builder was hired who superintended
the making Of bricks and the erection
Of the house. He also took care Of
the plastering and general inside
work. In the house of family of
wealth and importance it was possible
to acquire the services of an interior
decorator, person skilled in the
art OF Woodcarving, or painting or
similar art, who undertook to decorate
the interior Of the rooms and hall
ways. In many of the old houses
We admire this work, and find that
almost nothing Is known about the
artist. This is not the case at
Gunston Hall. James Buckland was
recommended to George Mason by
a friend, as satisfactory person both
as to his friendly disposition and his
artistic ability. His portrait at
Gunston Hall shows a most pleasing
and interesting countenance; of his
ability there is no doubt and there
must have been great congeniality
between the two men-that the result
OF George Mason's ideas and James
Buckland's technical and artistic abil-
tty produced such gem of house.
X X X
IN 1866 Gunston Hall passed out
Of the hands of the Mason fam
lily, and in 1912 it was purchased by
the present owner. In the last Is
years the house and grounds have
been restored, as far as study, intel
Igence and appreciation have made
1t possible, to their original beauty.
The house is Georgian in type, a
story and a half high, with double
end chimneys, a steep pitched. gable
roof and dormer windows Though
appearing much smaller than its
actual measurements, it Is most beau
tifully proportioned, and gives first
impression of gracious intimate charm.
The entrance hall is wide and invit-
ing with beautiful stairway and fine
decorative detail. It runs straight
through the house with a door to
the garden at the rear and two rooms
on either side. To the right is the
drawing room and master bedcham-
ber, to the left the library and din
ing room. When the house was built
the kitchen, as well as numerous other
buildings, were removed from the
main house. Most of these are no
longer standing. Upstairs long hall
way originally ran the full length of
the house. There are 10 dormer win
doWs, and as there were nine chill
dren in the Mason family, it is not
unlikely that there were at that time
10 individual bedrooms. Some of
these partitions have been removed
so that at the present time there are
four large spacious rooms with a
delightful view out over the garden
and the rolling fields to the river.
All through the house the thought
ful attention to detail which produces
the perfect whole is evident. George
Mason must have used his excellent |
judgment and fine perception in the
planning of his home, as well as in
the great affairs of state. No matter
how skilled the workman, and we
know James Buckland was an able
artist. his efforts could not have been
as effective without the understand !