GAY MONT 



HE garden at Gay Mont lies on a high hill 

 overlooking the Rappahannock River and Valley, 

 twenty miles below the historic town of Fredericks- 

 burg. It is beautifully located and commands a 

 wonderful view of the surrounding country. 



This estate, which formerly comprised some 

 tv.'o thousand acres, was part of the Miller grant. Unfortunately, 

 the early records of Caroline County were destroyed or carried 

 away by the Union troops during the War Between the States, 

 making it difficult to obtain exact data. It is certain, however, 

 that it was afterwards part of the Catlett estate, and was purchased 

 from Mr. Catlett in 1790, by John Hipkins, of "Belle Grove," 

 King George County, Virginia, who on his death left it to his grand- 

 son, John Hipkins Bernard. 



The original house comprised only the central, or two-story 

 portion of the present building and was erected about 1725. Two 

 wings, one at either end, were added in 1798, and the octagon- 

 shaped music room at the back in 1830. The latter opens on a 

 small porch, from the steps of which one can look down the 

 central garden walk to the sundial. 



John Hipkins Bernard upon reaching his majority went abroad 

 for several years and on his return brought with him many things • 

 for his home, including landscape wallpaper — then a novelty in 

 France — for the Gay Mont hall, parlor and dining-room. The 

 paper in the hall shows brightly colored Italian scenes, that in the 

 parlor represents the Bay of Naples in soft grey tones, while that 

 for the dining-room pictures mythological characters in sepia. 



Mr. Bernard also brought over two English gardeners who 

 remodeled the grounds and garden into their present form. That 

 a rose garden antedated their arrival and was a feature of the 



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