330 



son, who has many later deeds, including those to 

 Nathaniel Harrison dated 1698, 1720, 1724 

 and 1725. 



The date of Captain Martin's death is un- 

 known, but at least he was hving in 1626-1627; 

 his grave, which is doubtless at Brandon, is un- 

 known and unmarked. The connection between 

 Martin .ind the Harrisons is not clear. An En- 

 sign Harrison, who was probably Harmon Har- 

 rison, came to Virginia in 160S, and was com- 

 plained of, together with Captain Martin, before 

 the First Assembly in 1619. It is possible there 

 was a relationship between the two men, but it 

 is at least certain that Brandon, with its ten thou- 

 sand acres, passed into the Harrison family, and 

 became completely identified with it, for at a very 

 early time it became their ancestral home. 



The earliest buildings on the plantation were 

 long since swept away to make room for the pres- 

 ent stately mansion, commenced, doubtless, by 

 Colonel Nathaniel Harrison about the middle of 

 the eighteenth century; it was completed by his 

 son, of the same name. It is thoroughly typical 

 of the old Colonial architecture of Virginia, being 

 built of brick, with two wings. The latter arc 

 earlier than the center, the brick being laid in 

 Flemish bond, the northern wing having black 

 headers. The house is built on a high bluff and 

 is about six hundred feet back from the river. A 

 landing at the water's edge abuts against a path 

 by which the main entrance is reached. A great 

 central hall, completely wainscoted, fills the cen- 

 ter of the house. Its depth is broken by a triple 

 arch, supported on Ionic columns, beneath one 

 of which rises the stairway that leads to the 

 billiard-room, which is directly over the hall. 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



September, 1907 



September, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



331 



Showing Some of ihe 



On one side is the drawing-room; on the other 

 the dining-room, while passages opening beyond 

 lead to the other parts of the house. Each is a 

 room of great size, with vast fireplaces, and pan- 

 eled throughout like the hall. The wainscoting, 

 unfortunately, was greatly injured during the 

 Civil War, when much of it seems to ha\ e been 

 torn off by seekers for treasure. To complete 

 the sketch of the plan of the house it is sufficient 

 to state that an anteroom from the drawing-room 

 gives access to four sleeping-rooms, two on the 

 first floor and two on the second; the opposite 

 wing contains the office and room of the manager 

 of the estate and two guest rooms in the second 

 story. 



Perhaps no one feature of Brandon is so in- 

 teresting and important as the great gallery of 

 portraits which is hung on the walls of the 

 drawing-room and the dining-room. There are 

 portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Benjamin West, 

 Vandyke, Sir Peter Lcly and other celebrated 

 artists, including a collection made in England in 

 the eighteenth century. The portrait of the cele- 

 brated Colonel William Byrd, and the latter's 

 beautiful daughter, Evelyn, are among the most 

 notable of the whole series and among the choic- 

 est possessions of the house. 



In the drawing-room is a portrait of Sir 

 Charles Wager, which hangs above the mantel, 

 and continuing around the room to the right are 

 portraits of G. E. Harrison, Sir Robert South- 

 well, Mrs. Evelyn Byrd Harrison, the second 

 wife of Benjamin Harrison, Lady Betty Clay- 

 pole, Evelyn Byrd, Lord Halifax, Earl Egre- 

 mont, Earl Orrery, Mrs. Fitzhugh and Benjamin 

 Harrison. In a case in the corner is a fan which 



The Garden Walk fi 



The Overgrown Box Hedge In Front of ihe Garden Side of the Mai 

 Slill Flourishes in Splendid Growth 



The Old Gardei 



Laid Out Over Two Cenlurie: 

 Tracing the Old Carder 



Ago. with die Bo: 

 Walts 



Hedge Slill 



