﻿October, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  379 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  

   the 
  mansion 
  is 
  the 
  

   garden, 
  the 
  entrance 
  

   to 
  which 
  is 
  through 
  

   a 
  quaint 
  oldgateway. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  laid 
  out 
  with 
  

   walks 
  extending 
  in 
  

   both 
  directions 
  and 
  

   bordered 
  by 
  a 
  box 
  

   hedge. 
  This 
  gar- 
  

   den 
  was 
  laid 
  out 
  by 
  

   Mary, 
  wife 
  of 
  Hill 
  

   Carter, 
  and 
  c 
  o 
  n- 
  

   tained 
  almost 
  every 
  

   kind 
  of 
  growing 
  

   plant 
  and 
  shrub, 
  the 
  

   whole 
  of 
  which 
  is 
  

   now 
  inclosed 
  by 
  a 
  

   high 
  box 
  hedge. 
  

  

  "Shirley" 
  stands 
  

   as 
  a 
  noble 
  m 
  o 
  n 
  u- 
  

   ment 
  to 
  its 
  builder 
  

   and 
  founders, 
  and 
  

   the 
  hospitality 
  which 
  

   was 
  extended 
  in 
  the 
  

   good 
  old 
  Colonial 
  

  

  days 
  of 
  the 
  Old 
  Dominion 
  is 
  still 
  maintained 
  by 
  the 
  present 
  

   owners, 
  who 
  have 
  naturally 
  inherited 
  this 
  characteristic 
  from 
  

   their 
  distinguished 
  ancestors. 
  

  

  Indeed, 
  who 
  could 
  not 
  but 
  be 
  hospitable 
  amid 
  such 
  sur- 
  

   roundings 
  and 
  such 
  memories? 
  The 
  association 
  of 
  hospi- 
  

   tality 
  with 
  the 
  dwelling 
  is 
  nowhere 
  more 
  finely 
  nor 
  more 
  

   completely 
  illustrated 
  than 
  on 
  the 
  James 
  River, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  

   very 
  houses 
  which 
  are 
  now 
  being 
  passed 
  in 
  review. 
  The 
  

   natural 
  inborn 
  courtesies 
  of 
  the 
  owners, 
  past 
  and 
  present, 
  

  

  The 
  Famous 
  Staircase 
  in 
  the 
  Lower 
  Hall 
  

  

  have 
  dowered 
  these 
  

   superb 
  old 
  mansions 
  

   with 
  a 
  tradition 
  for 
  

   hospitality 
  almost 
  

   without 
  a 
  peer 
  

   among 
  the 
  great 
  

   houses 
  of 
  America. 
  

  

  Nor 
  is 
  their 
  

   continuous 
  owner- 
  

   ship 
  and 
  occupancy 
  

   by 
  a 
  single 
  family, 
  

   or 
  members 
  or 
  

   branches 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  

   family, 
  without 
  im- 
  

   portant 
  value. 
  The 
  

   modern 
  house 
  is 
  

   built 
  for 
  modern 
  

   use, 
  and 
  many 
  a 
  

   great 
  new 
  structure 
  

   has 
  passed 
  out 
  of 
  

   the 
  possession 
  of 
  its 
  

   builder's 
  family 
  

   within 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  

   after 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  

   completed. 
  But 
  the 
  

   old 
  builders 
  of 
  the 
  

   James 
  River 
  built 
  for 
  longer 
  years 
  than 
  their 
  own, 
  built 
  

   charmingly 
  and 
  well, 
  so 
  that 
  their 
  children 
  and 
  children's 
  

   children 
  loved 
  the 
  old 
  places, 
  lived 
  in 
  them 
  and 
  cared 
  for 
  

   them. 
  

  

  The 
  survival 
  of 
  these 
  mansions 
  is, 
  therefore, 
  a 
  significant 
  

   fact, 
  possessing 
  a 
  sociological 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  an 
  architectural 
  or 
  

   esthetic 
  value. 
  It 
  means 
  a 
  new 
  idea 
  of 
  home, 
  or 
  rather 
  the 
  

   old 
  idea, 
  exemplified, 
  magnified 
  and 
  illustrated 
  in 
  the 
  finest 
  

   possible 
  way. 
  

  

  Main 
  Entrance 
  to 
  " 
  Shirley 
  " 
  

  

  Doorway 
  in 
  the 
  Drawing-room 
  

  

  