Evening star., 1953-03-15
Travellers Notebook
Booklet Lists Historic Homes and Gardens
On Display During Virginia Gorden Week
By Jacques FutreIIe, Jr.
The Sior's Travel Editor

FutrelIe, Jr.
roveI Editor
placed on the roadsides for fur
ther guidance.
Necessity in Planning
The booklet is a necessity
especially to Garden Week first
timers-in planning tours and
selecting areas that offer the
greatest individual appeal. 1t
specifies visiting hours daily and
Sunday, and days each show
place is open. For, as the book
let points out, all homes and
gardens are not open every day.
Several distribution points for
the booklet are located in the
Washington area. Among them
are the American Automobile
Association, the keystone Auto
Club and the Virginia State
Travel Bureau. The bureau, by
the way, is moving this week end
from it's K street address to ITO
Jackson place, just across from
the White House.
To give motorists a descriptive
preview of some of the estates
they may see, the Notebook is
printing today an at-random
list of places that lie well beyond
the immediate Washington Met
ropolitan Area. These selections
are but a few of the many Of
fered in each district. The gar
den tour booklet lists and de-
Scribes them all. Our sample
selection follows:
Gloucester and Mathews District
(Open Friday and Saturday,
May l and p. s,aq
Kingston Hall-On Route IA,
3 miles south of Mathews Court
house. Original house built in
1875 by Thomas Smith on grant
called "Centreville." Addition
made by George Tabb about 1900
and name changed to Wood
stock. Note for unusual stair
case with five balusters to each
step. Beautiful trees and en-
trance. Birthplace of Thomas
and Armistead Smith, two of the
five founders of Phi Beta Kappa.
Mr.. and Mrs. Richard Blackburn
Tucker, owners. Admission to
house and grounds, rs cents.
Green PlainS-Route IA, turn
right on Route go. On North
River. Built by James Roy in
1898. Its wide halls and deep
window seats make it as charm
ing within as without. The
garden, which is surrounded by
scalloped wall of brick, has
been carefully restored by the
owners. Mr.. and Mrs. F. Higgin-
son Cabot. Admission to house
and garden, 81.
Yorktown
Nelson House york HalD-
Entrance on Nelson street. An
imposing brick mansion built
about 1740, the home in Revolu-
tionary times of Gov. Thomas
Nelson. Headquarters of Corn
wallis during the siege of York
town, the house was fired upon
by order Of the owner, who Of
fered a reward of 5 guineas to
the gunner who could strike it.
A terraced bowling green over
looks a formal garden, with an
old English sundial as the focal
point. Swimming pool and box
wood garden not. visible from
street. Of the original planting
a wall of box trees remains sur
rounding the paved forecourt.
Mr.. and Mrs. George Waller
Blow, owners. Admission to gar
dens only. soc. Admission to
house and gardens, 81. Open
Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
April 80, May and q.
Eastern Shore of Virginia
(Open Friday and Saturday,
May / and o.
Eyre HaIl-Three miles south
of EaStvilie. Turn off Route 13-
/ mile west to Eyre Hall follow
arrows. Built in TITS by Little
ton Eyre and enlarged by John
Eyre in 1904. Woodwork, scenic
block wallpaper and furniture
are all rare examples of Colonial
times. The box garden is one of
the oldest and loveliest in the
county. Mr.. and Mrs. Henry
du Pont Baldwin. owners.
Orange District
GIendOwer-Mohday, April q
through Friday only. On Route
20 at its junction with Route
713, 2 miles east of Keene and
4 miles west of Scottsville. The
main house was probably built
about 1903 by Samuel Dyer of
Plain Dealing. The small older
brick house in the yard is be-
lieved by some authorities to
have been the home of Mrs.
Edward Scott on Totier" where
tsee NOTEBOOK. Page C-l6o ]