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  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  May, 
  1907 
  

  

  Only 
  Sufficient 
  Trees 
  Were 
  Cut 
  Away 
  to 
  Form 
  a 
  Clearing 
  for 
  the 
  House 
  in 
  the 
  Forest 
  

  

  The 
  Summer 
  Home 
  or 
  Frederick 
  P. 
  Hill, 
  Esq. 
  

   Water 
  Witch, 
  New 
  Jersey 
  

  

  The 
  summer 
  home 
  and 
  garden 
  of 
  Frederick 
  P. 
  Hill, 
  Esq., 
  

   at 
  Water 
  Witch, 
  N. 
  J., 
  illustrated 
  on 
  pages 
  165, 
  166, 
  and 
  

   167, 
  constitute 
  a 
  place 
  of 
  distinctive 
  interest. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  house 
  

   perched 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  "Highlands" 
  in 
  the 
  village 
  of 
  

   Water 
  Witch, 
  a 
  rugged 
  park 
  of 
  many 
  acres, 
  studded 
  with 
  

   forest 
  trees, 
  and 
  a 
  spot 
  of 
  historic 
  interest, 
  intimately 
  asso- 
  

   ciated 
  with 
  James 
  Fenimore 
  Cooper, 
  who 
  at 
  one 
  time 
  lived 
  

   on 
  the 
  "Highlands," 
  and 
  whose 
  place 
  now 
  

   forms 
  a 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  park. 
  Here 
  he 
  wrote 
  

   his 
  well-known 
  novel 
  "Water 
  Witch," 
  to 
  

   which 
  the 
  place 
  now 
  owes 
  its 
  name. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Hill's 
  house 
  stands 
  in 
  a 
  dense 
  growth 
  

   of 
  trees. 
  The 
  gateway 
  to 
  the 
  property 
  is 
  

   overhung 
  with 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  trees 
  and 
  shrubs. 
  

   Below 
  are 
  steps 
  to 
  the 
  winding 
  path 
  by 
  which 
  

   the 
  house 
  is 
  reached. 
  Further 
  on, 
  and 
  quite 
  

   near 
  the 
  entrance, 
  is 
  a 
  second 
  flight 
  of 
  steps, 
  

   with 
  tubs 
  of 
  hydrangea 
  hortensia 
  on 
  either 
  

   side, 
  at 
  the 
  top. 
  Then 
  come 
  the 
  house 
  steps, 
  

   painted 
  white, 
  with 
  a 
  white 
  balustrade, 
  lead- 
  

   ing 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  doorway, 
  which 
  is 
  

   shielded 
  by 
  a 
  massive 
  hood. 
  The 
  house 
  is 
  

   surfaced 
  with 
  natural 
  cedar 
  shingles, 
  which 
  

   have 
  now 
  taken 
  on 
  a 
  silvery 
  gray 
  color; 
  the 
  

   trim 
  throughout 
  is 
  painted 
  white. 
  On 
  the 
  

   east 
  side 
  is 
  a 
  piazza 
  with 
  columns 
  of 
  red 
  

   brick 
  that 
  support 
  a 
  balcony 
  at 
  the 
  second 
  

   story, 
  where 
  their 
  summits 
  are 
  surmounted 
  

   with 
  red 
  terra 
  cotta 
  pots 
  filled 
  with 
  red 
  ge- 
  

   raniums 
  and 
  vines 
  — 
  graceful 
  bits 
  of 
  color 
  

   against 
  the 
  quiet 
  tone 
  of 
  the 
  walls. 
  

  

  The 
  trim 
  of 
  the 
  entrance 
  hall 
  is 
  painted 
  

   white. 
  It 
  contains 
  a 
  Colonial 
  staircase, 
  with 
  

   treads 
  and 
  balustrade 
  painted 
  white, 
  and 
  a 
  

   mahogany 
  rail. 
  The 
  walls 
  are 
  tinted 
  sea 
  

   green. 
  The 
  great 
  living-room, 
  which 
  im- 
  

  

  mediately 
  adjoins 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  

   left, 
  and 
  which 
  occupies 
  the 
  

   larger 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  Hoor, 
  

   is 
  trimmed 
  with 
  cypress, 
  

   painted 
  white. 
  The 
  ceiling 
  

   timbers 
  are 
  exposed 
  and 
  are 
  

   stained 
  and 
  finished 
  in 
  a 
  

   soft 
  brown. 
  The 
  walls 
  are 
  

   colored 
  a 
  soft 
  shade 
  of 
  

   terra 
  cotta. 
  The 
  large 
  

   open 
  fireplace, 
  with 
  a 
  

   chimney-breast 
  rising 
  to 
  the 
  

   ceiling, 
  is 
  built 
  of 
  common 
  

   brick 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  shelf 
  of 
  

   stained 
  cypress. 
  The 
  rugs 
  

   and 
  bookcases, 
  the 
  old 
  mir- 
  

   rors, 
  clock, 
  and 
  antique 
  fur- 
  

   niture 
  make 
  a 
  delightful 
  

   ensemble. 
  The 
  appropriate 
  

   inscription 
  by 
  Goethe, 
  

   "Ueber 
  Allen 
  Gipfeln 
  ist 
  

   Ruh," 
  is 
  inscribed 
  on 
  the 
  

   face 
  of 
  the 
  arch 
  over 
  the 
  

   fireplace. 
  

  

  The 
  adjoining 
  dining- 
  

   room 
  has 
  walls 
  tinted 
  with 
  

   Colonial 
  yellow 
  and 
  trim 
  

   painted 
  white. 
  The 
  open 
  

   fireplace, 
  with 
  its 
  ceiling- 
  

   high 
  chimney-breast 
  and 
  

   columns 
  and 
  mantel 
  of 
  old 
  

   Egyptian 
  black 
  and 
  gold 
  marble, 
  is 
  a 
  conspicuous 
  feature 
  in 
  

   the 
  room. 
  French 
  windows 
  open 
  onto 
  the 
  piazza, 
  which 
  is 
  

   used 
  as 
  a 
  dining-room 
  in 
  warm 
  weather. 
  The 
  butler's 
  pantry, 
  

   kitchen 
  and 
  its 
  dependencies 
  are 
  completely 
  fitted 
  up, 
  and 
  are 
  

   trimmed 
  with 
  yellow 
  pine 
  which 
  has 
  received 
  one 
  coat 
  of 
  

   wax 
  finish. 
  

  

  The 
  second 
  floor 
  contains 
  four 
  bedrooms 
  and 
  two 
  bath- 
  

   rooms. 
  They 
  are 
  trimmed 
  with 
  whitewood 
  painted 
  white. 
  

   The 
  bedroom 
  walls 
  are 
  tinted 
  in 
  various 
  colors, 
  and 
  the 
  

   bathrooms 
  are 
  tiled 
  and 
  furnished 
  with 
  porcelain 
  fixtures 
  

  

  A 
  Serpentine 
  Path 
  Helps 
  to 
  Conceal 
  the 
  House 
  from 
  the 
  Outer 
  Roadway 
  

  

  