GARDENERS' CHRONICLE 



OF AMERICA 



THE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF 

 THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF GARDENERS 



Devoted to the Science of Floriculture and Horticulture. 



THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PARK SUPERINTENDENTS. 



Devoted to Park Development and Recreational Facilities. 



y<A. XIX. 



lUXE. i9i; 



Xu. r, 



Homewood, the Country Estate of R, B. Ward 



"Home\\o(jd" is located in the hills (it Weitchester 

 County at Wykai^l, an outlying district of Xew Rochelle, 

 N. V. Presenting, as it does in the accompanying 

 illustrations, all the appearances of a completed countr\- 

 estate it mav be said to be still in the state of dcve'onment. 



Huguenot settlers. The dwelling house stood on what is 

 now the farm portion of the estate, a long, low house, 

 siding off shingles rounding at the bottom, all dressed b}- 

 hand. Mr. Schureman was a prosperous farmer and the 

 nwner of some excellent cattle, consisting of horses, cows 



and swine and a great 

 variety of poultry, all 

 of which attracted the 

 marauders soon after 

 the war began. 



Just prior to the Bat- 

 tle (if White Plains, a 

 detachment of Lord 

 I l(jwe"s soldiers were 

 (|uartered a t X e w 

 Rochelle, and with the 

 lawlessness common to 

 invaders, they c o n - 



r\U'. COUNTRY HOME OF 

 WARD. WYK.Xr.YL. 

 .\. ^ ,. SHOWING THE REAR 

 \ ll:\\ (IF THE MANSION. 



THE rF.KiKH.A Al INK KXTKAM'K TO I'lll-. 



•KI';NC1I FKlTr (i.\Kl>E.\ AMI 

 ARE SEEN AT THE RIGHT. 



i',.\i<iii-.\>, I III- i,ui-:i,.\iiousES 



for its owner, R. !!. \\'ard, an enthusiastic horticulturist 

 proposes to make "liomewood" the most ideal country 

 estate that is to be found anywhere in the eastern states. 

 It is alreadv a most charming place, but when the con- 

 templated ])lans are carried out for further improvement 

 it will become a beauty spot. 



The history of this property dates back to the Revolu- 

 tionary days, for it is recorded to have been owned by 

 one Jeremiah Schureman, whose wife wa; Magdalina De 

 Veaux, of New Rochelle, a descendant of the French 



sidered the farmers lair game for pillage. Mr. .Schure- 

 man had already lost a considerable amount of horses and 

 cattle, and one dark night overheard an attempt at driv- 

 ing off his stock. He opened the upper part of the old 

 half door and called out, "I know who you are and will 

 report von in the morning." ^^'ith this, one of the men 

 leveled his musket and shot Air. Schureman, who fell 

 over dead in his own doorway. 



The home of Mr. ^^'ard, a large mansion of pleasing- 

 architecture, built by him a few years ago, is situated 



