BOSTON AND VICINITY. 57 



imbibed a taste for the life of a country gentleman, and 

 acquired a knowledge of the then accepted style of build- 

 ing and landscape gardening ; his house and grounds 

 were arranged strictly on an English model. The 

 estate comprised several hundred acres, in the middle 

 of which was what was called the " Home Field," where 

 stood the mansion, the plan of which was considered 

 most admirable and aristocratic, and in the most ap- 

 proved style. The drawing room was furnished in the 

 gay and graceful fashion of Louis XVI. ; the other rooms 

 with substantial rich mahogany, much of it of the old 

 ante-revolutionary type, the whole being complete and 

 elegant. A straight avenue, shaded by double rows of 

 trees, conducted the visitor to this stately abode ; 

 shady walks radiated from the house to the east and west, 

 secluding it upon all sides except one opening that 

 permitted a view of the river a half mile across the 

 lawn and the fields beyond it. The trees which bor- 

 dered the avenues and walks and ornamented the 

 grounds were tastefully grouped, occasionally convert- 

 ing the walks into Gothic aisles, one of which formed a 

 vista from the east window of the library. The tradi- 

 tion is that the Governor and Mrs. Gore planted many 

 of these trees with their own hands. The Governor 

 was fond of agricultural pursuits and was an ardent 

 amateur farmer, having in addition to his fruit, flower 

 and vegetable garden, extensive fields under cultiva- 

 tion, and a large group of barns and farm buildings. 

 From this elegant mansion might be seen the Governor 

 taking an airing in his orange-colored coach, with 

 coachman, footman, and outriders all in livery, and with 

 a stateliness quite in keeping with his fine place. 1 

 This place, on the death of Gov. Gore, passed into 



1 Letter of Col. Henry Lee. 



