Elizabethan Dwelling 



their second summer) in the quaintly rich old " Manor 

 House" built in 1550. This establishment, hard by 

 the renowned church on the Avon, was the property 

 of a collector of antiques who had filled it with choice 

 period furniture. Adjoining it stands "Hall's Croft," Rail's 

 once the home of Susanna, daughter of Shakespeare Cn & 

 and wife of Dr. John Hall. Its beautiful garden had 

 apparently suffered little change. But when purchased 

 by Mrs. Liggett, widow of a New York merchant, 

 the interior resembled that of a commonplace English 

 cottage. During renovation, however, workmen laid Adeiigkt- 

 bare a complete Elizabethan dwelling buried under s ^ rprisf 

 modern lath and plaster. Huge fireplaces then 

 appeared in each room, and charming windows, all 

 apparently covered up to avoid the special taxes 

 levied of old on light and fire. At the rear of a tiny 

 entrance hall was disclosed the elevated platform 

 protected by a black oaken grille from behind which 

 Dr. Hall dispensed his medieval pills and potions. 

 Other fascinating nooks and passages also were re- 

 vealed, to the delight of the fortunate owner. But this 

 was not the whole story, for within the Elizabethan 

 walls they found the framework of a still earlier 

 structure, the whole thus representing three distinct 

 architectural stratifications. 



At the time of our visit to the Manor House, Mrs. . 

 Liggett had just about completed the work of restora- 

 tion and. furnishing. An ardent collector in Europe and 

 the Orient, she had gathered much that admirably 

 enhanced the interest of the redeemed house. As 

 guests of the Hoovers we had the pleasure of being 

 invited to share her first meal in the new home, 

 set in the open overlooking Susanna Hall's inviting 

 garden. 



C 49i 3 



