Evening star., 1962-07-25


vania, the Rambler headed
for Frederick, Md, to view a
beautiful 145-year-old home.
1t is part Of the towns
Court Square. From the
marble steps leading to the
front door can be seen the
old Court House yard
where three Tories were
hanged in 1881; the site
where fire destroyed the sec
ond court house in 1861, and
as the flame-weakened roof
began to collapse the cupola
bell tolled its own death
knell.
Across the way is the
Potts house, designed by
President Andrew Jackson's
architect, and a park where
Francis Scott Key walked.
The house stands on the
site Of Frederick's first Jail,
an inadequate structure
built in the mid-18th CEN
tury and torn down in 1915
after an added stone wall
did little good to keep the
prisoners in.
The house Is brick, rich
but comfortable looking
with four stories plus a loft.
It is said that a French
general and statesmen
danced on the floors of its
third-floor ballroom, and it
is known that Republican
Congressman Matthias used
to slide down its banisters.
Mr.. Matthias was born in
this home in which his
mother grew up, a house
which she says Is filled with
"the accumulation of seven
generations"
"Col. John Mcpherson and
a John Brien built this and
the adjoining house in 1917.
My grandfather bought it
from them and I have lived
here all my life," said Mrs.
Matthias. "The furnishings
are a blend Of my family's
and my husbands family"
AN ORNATE PIANO, long
in disuSe, sits in one corner.
THAT was my great
grandfather's." Also in the
room is a couch from the
Empire period, a chair built
before the Revolution and a
very ornate black sideboard.
"That is Flemish. My fam
lily bought 1t in France 100
years ago and it was sup
posed to be 200 years old
then," said Mrs. Matthias, a
distinguished woman who
has a good sense of humor
as well as taste.
II hope everything blends,
but then I think anything
interesting goes with an old
house." she said, leading the
way to a dining room which
she said had been added
later. Looking at the stained
glass win dows she said
that's quite dreadful but
it's fun"
In the beautifully wall
,papered hallway hang val
liable old Frederick prints
which date back to 1843 and
some works by an artist
named Limner. In a collec-
ton of newspaper articles
in a book on a nearby shelf,
Limner advertised in 1893
that he respectfully &C
quaints the public that he
has resumed his profession
of Portrait Painter"
The males present turned
from a look at beautiful
antique goblets and crystal
chandeliers to inspect a
walking stick in the library.
Congressman Matthias un-
screwed the top and out
came a thin silver of a sword,
which belonged to a relative,
Charles McCurdy, for whom
Mr.. Matthias is named.
MIR. MATTHIAS ALSO in
formed US that there was at
one time a m arvelouS
male oasis in the basement,
a billiard room. The ball
room on the third floor, now
made into two bedrooms,
was a place for elegant re-
ceptions, although "there is
some dispute whether La
fayette danced there or not
when he came to Frederick
in 1924" said Mr.. Matthias.
In the early 10th century
the house and its adjoining
counterpart had a built
in version of a supermarket
out back-stableS, a smoke
house, ice house, a carriage
house and low, rambling
slave quarters.