Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-28
By Isabelle Shelton

When Assistant to the Presi-
dent Sherman Adams pressure
filled day is over he goes home
to a delightfully."- peaceful 143-
year-old stone house, nestled in
the middle of Rock Greek Park
The former New Hampshire
Governor-who many still adj
dress as Governor-and his pc
tite wife Rachel moved last
month from historic Federal
House on Capitol Hill to their
present abode.
The house Is surrounded by
its own two-acre tree-studded
lawn, on which a patch Of yellow
crocuses already are in bloom.
Beyond the yard the view is
mainly Of park area.
I'VE feel it Is very relaxing"
says Mrs. Adams. ut is exactly
what the Governor needs to
come back to after the kind Of
days that he puts in. We have
always lived in the country, and
we like being able to step out
into the yard on any side Of
the house.
Federal House is beautiful,
but to us 1t was practically like
living on the sidewalk. There
was no front yard at all, and
at night we had to 60 through
q dark alley to get to the car"
Their present house has eight
outside doors. including double
French doors of both the living
and dining rooms. Both sets Of
double doors lead to stone patio
at the back Of the house, and the
AdamSeS hope to have many of
their summer meals on the patio
of the dining room or on the
adjoining screened porch.
The low, rambling ivy-cov-
cred stone house is shielded
from the street by a weathered
Belgian picket fence. Most
striking room inside is the liv-
ing room, with random-width
flooring, exposed beam ceiling.
and walls of pine paneling and
stone. Mrs. Adams thinks the
room is about 28x30 feet. She
ought to have a pretty good idea
of the size, for although the
house is rented furnished, they
have just purchased and in
stalled a new living room rug,
an immense Oriental whose
muted yellow background blends
beautifully with the pine panel
ling, which has darkened
through the years until it has a
soft, mahogany-like patina.
There is an immense fireplace,
stretching at least eight feet,
the wooden mantel of which is
composed of wood that was a
part of the old Capitol before it
was burned by the British in
1914. Another even larger fire.
place tabout 10 feet long, ex-
tends across one end of the
dining room. and there are still
others in the kitchen and the
upstairs sitting room.
The living room colors are
chiefly subdued yellow, burnt or
ange and brown, and one of the
many conversation pieces in the
room is a grandfather clock,
taller than most, which. accord
ing to an attached note, was
brought to this country in 1912
by ancestors of DR.. and Mrs.
Harry Kerr, who own the house.
Mrs. Adams, who says she
loves to "putter around in the
kitchen. when I have time" is
particularly delighted with the
huge. old-faShioned kitchen. She
had her first and only expert
ence with a small apartment
kitchen during her husbands
one term in Congress in 1945-
As and finds them hard to oper-
ate in.
Her present kitchen has room
for two refrigerators, one of
which is a huge double Goored
affair, and. in addition, there is
a deep freeze in the adjoining
garage.
She put up a couple of bushels
Of apples last year at Federal
House, but hasn't had time for
much other culinary activity
since she arrived here. This
spring she hopes to plant a small
vegetable garden-mostly toma-
toes and cucumberS, and pop