Evening star., 1957-08-18
By GEORGE FLYNN

BY GEORGE FLYNN
The steadily increasing
popularity Of the house mu-
scum among antique fans
and students Of American
history was reflected in two
important Developments last
week. They came toward the
end Of a summer which saw
great attendance gains for
the museums and restoration
projects across the Nation.
In this area, for example, the
jamestown celebration di-
rected attention to the grow
ing fascination with early
America and its lore.
From Wilmington, Del,
came word that ground had
been broken for the addition
Of q major wing to the Henry
Francis du Pont Winterthur
Museum, the 100-room treas
ury Of American period fur
niture.
And from New York trick
led the information that
Hamilton Grange, only house
owned by Alexander Hamil-
ton. will not fall to the
wrecker's AZ. The historic
house. threatened with de-
struction, will be saved and
moved to q new location,
thanks to q last-minute flow
Of gifts from New York bank
ers in memory Of the first
Secretary Of the Treasury.
Six.StOFy Addition
The Winterthur project.
which viii increase the size
Of the museum building by
one-third, viii rise six stories
high and contain an audito-
rum seating 200 persons.
10 period rooms. special ex-
hibit areas. q library and
ONCE space. Already Winter
thur is the biggest museum
OF its type under one roof.
Charles F. Montgomery
museum director, said the
expansion was made neces-
sary by the greatly increased
use Of the Winterthur coIlec-
tions by both public and
private educational institu-
tons in the teaching of
American history. art and
SOCIAL SLuoleS.
The new period rooms will
make possible, he said, the
viewing Of representative
period collections without
the advance reservation re-
quired for seeing the whole
museum.
When the towering man.
sion was opened to the pub
lie in 1851, its sponsors found
that the honeycomb Of rooms
would permit viewing by only
so persons q day. by advance
reservation only except for a
brief period in the spring.
The necessary restriction has
held down the number of
persons who would like to
tour the building.
More Period Rooms
The new rooms. whose
wo odwo r k. fireplaces and
decorations have been
acquired from houses in New
England, New York, Pennsyl-
vania and Delaware, will be
arranged chronologically TO
show the development Of ar
chitecture. furniture and ac-
cessories from the 18th CEN
tufy. through the william
and Mary. Queen Anne, Chip
pendale and Federal periods,
to the Empire periods.
This systematic best for
introducing the novice stu
dent to period designs-is
beautifully exemplifled in the
museum Of the Concord An
tiquarian Society in Concord,
N. H.. a masterpiece which
receives too little recognition.
Another feature Of the
Winterthur addition will be
a touch 1t" room, where
children may get the feel Of
early American tools and
utensils. This attractive gim-
mick, to acquaint youngsters
with the life Of their ances-
tors, was developed at the
Sturbridge Museum in Mas
sachusetts.
AS for the Hamilton House,
1t is a classic Of the Federal
period. essentially intact, with
original bay windows and
woodwork Of modified Adam
style. Influential architects
and historians strove desper-
ately TO save 1t, and we're
losing hope when the bankers
stepped in. The house. in
upper Manhattan, probably
will be moved to the campus
Of Manhattanville College.
Descendants Of Hamilton
have agreed 10 return many
Of the original furnishings.