﻿AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  February, 
  1907 
  

  

  Mrs. 
  Slater's 
  House 
  on 
  the 
  Hunt 
  Estate 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  Heart 
  of 
  the 
  Blue 
  Hill 
  District, 
  Near 
  Boston, 
  Massachusetts 
  

  

  By 
  George 
  Brayton 
  

  

  HE 
  beautiful 
  country 
  home 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  artist 
  

   William 
  Morris 
  Hunt, 
  situated 
  in 
  the 
  heart 
  

   of 
  the 
  Blue 
  Hill 
  District, 
  just 
  outside 
  Bos- 
  

   ton's 
  suburbs, 
  is 
  still 
  in 
  possession 
  of 
  the 
  

   family, 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  children 
  having 
  separ- 
  

   ate 
  homes 
  within 
  its 
  spacious 
  grounds. 
  Of 
  

   these, 
  the 
  most 
  noteworthy 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  Mrs. 
  

   Mabel 
  Hunt 
  Slater, 
  a 
  daughter 
  of 
  the 
  artist, 
  and 
  widow 
  of 
  

   the 
  late 
  Horatio 
  N. 
  Slater. 
  

  

  Four 
  years 
  ago 
  last 
  July, 
  the 
  first 
  tree 
  was 
  felled, 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  lay 
  the 
  foundation 
  of 
  the 
  house, 
  the 
  beautiful 
  grove 
  "Pine 
  

   Bank" 
  having 
  been 
  selected 
  for 
  a 
  site, 
  and 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  

   year 
  Mrs. 
  Slater 
  has 
  converted 
  the 
  new 
  residence 
  into 
  what 
  

   already 
  seems 
  like 
  a 
  delightful 
  old 
  English 
  homestead, 
  mel- 
  

   lowed 
  and 
  enriched 
  by 
  the 
  passage 
  of 
  time. 
  

  

  Setting 
  fairly 
  astride 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  ridge, 
  it 
  is 
  sur- 
  

   rounded 
  by 
  hundreds 
  of 
  oak, 
  pine, 
  and 
  other 
  trees, 
  and 
  is 
  

  

  approached 
  by 
  an 
  avenue 
  which 
  winds 
  picturesquely 
  up 
  the 
  

   hill, 
  making 
  a 
  broad 
  sweep 
  to 
  the 
  spacious 
  porte-cochere, 
  from 
  

   which 
  a 
  commanding 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  distant 
  horizon 
  is 
  obtained, 
  

   overlooking 
  several 
  peaceful 
  villages 
  and 
  the 
  Neponset 
  

   River, 
  winding 
  its 
  sunglinted 
  course 
  far 
  below. 
  

  

  The 
  estate 
  consists 
  of 
  nearly 
  one 
  hundred 
  acres, 
  and 
  the 
  

   utmost 
  care 
  is 
  taken 
  that 
  its 
  natural 
  advantages 
  shall 
  not 
  be 
  

   lessened 
  by 
  undue 
  artificial 
  treatment. 
  A 
  musical 
  brook 
  runs 
  

   through 
  the 
  grounds, 
  adding 
  the 
  welcome 
  element 
  of 
  water; 
  

   this 
  stream 
  may 
  eventually 
  be 
  converted 
  into 
  a 
  miniature 
  

   Dutch 
  canal, 
  affording 
  the 
  children 
  of 
  the 
  neighborhood 
  op- 
  

   portunities 
  for 
  boating 
  and 
  skating. 
  

  

  The 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  stands 
  upon 
  a 
  terrace, 
  and 
  is 
  chiefly 
  

   of 
  cypress 
  timbers 
  and 
  stucco; 
  its 
  color 
  is 
  agreeably 
  height- 
  

   ened 
  by 
  a 
  red-tiled 
  roof, 
  on 
  which 
  the 
  sun 
  gleams 
  in 
  the 
  

   midst 
  of 
  the 
  shadows 
  of 
  the 
  pine 
  trees. 
  

  

  The 
  basement 
  is 
  of 
  red 
  brick, 
  treated 
  with 
  unusual 
  deco- 
  

  

  Oak, 
  Pine 
  and 
  Other 
  Trees 
  Surround 
  the 
  House, 
  Which 
  Is 
  of 
  the 
  English 
  Style 
  with 
  Half 
  Timber 
  Work 
  

  

  