WOOTTON. 



THE COUNTRY HOME OF GEO. W. CHILDS, AT BRYN MAWR. 



TASTEFUL entrance to a coun- 

 try home has much to do with 

 putting the visitor into such a 

 frame of mind that he shall be 

 expectant, and properly re- 

 ceptive of the further beauties 

 that lie within its gates. 



In approaching Wootton, the country-seat of Philadel- 

 phia's widely-known millionaire philanthropist, one 

 comes first to a simple pillar by the roadside, upon 

 which is in- 

 scribed t h e 

 single word, 

 " Wootton." 



From this 

 pillar stretch- 

 es away down 

 the three- 

 quarters of a 

 mile that con- 

 st! tutes the 

 frontage of 

 the place, an 

 excellent 

 hedge of 

 spruce. It is 

 six feet high, 

 broad, green, 

 compact, 

 carefully 

 trimmed, and 

 tantalizin g 1 y 

 suggestive of 

 the well or- 

 dered land- 

 scape that 

 must 1 i e be- 

 hind it. I say 

 tantalizingly 

 suggestive, 



because as one walks along the road he is able to catch 

 only momentary glimpses of the higher portions <Si the 

 grounds, the hedge being almost a complete shield. One 

 is not disposed to cavil at this, however, as the grounds 

 are always free to whosoever will come, and one has 

 only to go on to the artistic little lodge at the entrance 

 gate, somewhat more than mid-way down the hedge, to 

 enter into full possession. 



The hedge is protected, on the street side, by a light, 

 open iron fence ; and over this honeysuckle clambers in 

 profusion, while here and there a rose bush throws 



Boat Landing at "Wooiton 



forth a fragrant mass of bloom and beauty, making 

 bright relief against the dark background. Some fine 

 trees border the outer edge of the walk, one of which, a 

 giant hickory at the further end, has been measured by 

 Thomas Meehan and declared by him, I believe, to be 

 the largest one of its species known in this country. 

 The tree seems more than loo feet high, and it is known 

 to be 309 years old. And this leads me to speak just 



here of one of the predominant features of this estate 



the great number of magnificent forest trees in which it 

 abounds. These are veterans of the primeval forest, 



oaks, hickor- 

 ies, chest- 

 nuts, pines, 

 poplars, t u - 

 lips and 

 beeches, 

 wisely left by 

 Mr. Childs 



upon pomts 

 of command- 

 ing p r o m i- 

 nence, when 

 clearing and 

 laying out the 

 grounds. In 

 one of these, 

 whose man- 

 ner of growth 

 has kindly 

 lent itself to 

 this purpose, 

 a spiral iron 

 staircase 

 leads up to a 

 p a V i 1 i o n 

 among the 

 topmost 

 branches. 

 From this an 

 excellent 



view is obtained of the whole estate, and here, too, one 

 may rest in absolute seclusion, hidden from the world 

 below. This is a favorite resort of the master of 

 Wootton, and here Mr. Childs often secludes himself 

 on Sundays to look over the week's letters from his 

 legion of friends, or to read or dream for an hour in 

 perfect quiet. 



The lawn is sixty acres in extent, and slopes away in 

 a gradual and graceful descent to the front, and upon 

 either side of the mansion. In extent, smoothness, and 

 in beautiful slope I know of no other lawn to compare 



