﻿September, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  329 
  

  

  Historic 
  Mansions 
  of 
  the 
  James 
  River 
  

  

  I. 
  — 
  "Martin's 
  Brandon," 
  the 
  Home 
  of 
  the 
  Harrisons 
  

  

  By 
  Francis 
  Durando 
  Nichols 
  

  

  F 
  ROMANCE 
  and 
  history 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  

   they 
  are 
  themes 
  of 
  inexhaustible 
  interest, 
  

   as 
  potent 
  in 
  their 
  charm 
  to-day 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   older 
  periods 
  when 
  mankind 
  had 
  less 
  

   numerously 
  varied 
  things 
  to 
  demand 
  his 
  

   attention. 
  Separately 
  and 
  alone 
  each 
  has 
  

   fascination 
  to 
  command 
  the 
  heart 
  and 
  

   mind 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  indifferent; 
  united 
  and 
  

   combined 
  they 
  yield 
  nothing 
  to 
  any 
  form 
  

   of 
  human 
  memory 
  or 
  endeavor. 
  There 
  are 
  

   many 
  places 
  in 
  this 
  broad 
  land 
  of 
  ours 
  that 
  are 
  richly 
  

   dowered 
  with 
  romance 
  and 
  completely 
  saturated 
  with 
  the 
  

   memories 
  of 
  the 
  historic 
  incidents 
  of 
  which 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  

   the 
  scene, 
  but 
  perhaps 
  nowhere 
  do 
  they 
  grasp 
  the 
  emotional 
  

   heart 
  so 
  thoroughly 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  shaded 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  James 
  

   River. 
  Here 
  history 
  is 
  breathed 
  in 
  with 
  the 
  very 
  air; 
  it 
  

   peeps 
  at 
  one 
  from 
  behind 
  the 
  trees, 
  one 
  steps 
  upon 
  historic 
  

   earth 
  at 
  almost 
  every 
  footstep, 
  and 
  stately 
  buildings 
  rise 
  

   above 
  the 
  river 
  bank, 
  recalling 
  romantic 
  episodes 
  and 
  testify- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  this 
  day 
  the 
  very 
  rare 
  and 
  unusual 
  circumstance 
  — 
  for 
  

   America 
  — 
  of 
  centuries 
  of 
  ownership 
  and 
  occupancy 
  in 
  single 
  

   families. 
  One 
  does 
  not 
  need 
  to 
  seek 
  for 
  history 
  or 
  for 
  ro- 
  

   mance 
  here, 
  for 
  they 
  stare 
  one 
  in 
  the 
  face 
  at 
  every 
  turn 
  in 
  

   the 
  gracious 
  form 
  of 
  splendid 
  trees 
  and 
  fine 
  old 
  mansions. 
  

   The 
  procession 
  of 
  the 
  years 
  has 
  brought 
  many 
  changes 
  to 
  

   these 
  quiet 
  river 
  sides, 
  but 
  the 
  grand 
  old 
  mansions 
  still 
  re- 
  

  

  main 
  intact 
  in 
  their 
  rare 
  old 
  splendor, 
  and 
  one 
  has 
  but 
  to 
  

   enter 
  their 
  hospitable 
  doors 
  — 
  as 
  hospitably 
  open 
  to-day 
  as 
  

   in 
  the 
  days 
  of 
  their 
  greater 
  activity 
  — 
  to 
  step 
  instantly 
  into 
  

   an 
  historic 
  past 
  of 
  a 
  true 
  romantic 
  memory. 
  

  

  The 
  beginnings 
  of 
  Brandon 
  as 
  an 
  estate 
  go 
  back 
  almost 
  

   to 
  the 
  commencement 
  of 
  Virginia 
  history. 
  Among 
  the 
  com- 
  

   pany 
  that 
  sailed 
  in 
  the 
  expedition 
  sent 
  out 
  by 
  the 
  London 
  

   Company 
  in 
  1606, 
  under 
  the 
  command 
  of 
  Captain 
  Christo- 
  

   pher 
  Newport, 
  was 
  one 
  James 
  Martin. 
  He 
  was 
  the 
  son 
  of 
  

   Sir 
  Richard 
  Martin, 
  and 
  was 
  born 
  about 
  15 
  60- 
  15 
  65. 
  He 
  

   had 
  commanded 
  the 
  "Benjamin" 
  in 
  Drake's 
  voyage 
  of 
  

   1 
  585-1 
  586, 
  but 
  from 
  1606 
  became 
  identified 
  with 
  the 
  history 
  

   of 
  Virginia. 
  In 
  161 
  6 
  he 
  received 
  from 
  the 
  Virginia 
  Com- 
  

   pany 
  a 
  grant 
  of 
  "ten 
  shares 
  of 
  land 
  in 
  Virginia," 
  which 
  in 
  

   the 
  following 
  year 
  he 
  located 
  at 
  Martin's 
  Brandon 
  on 
  the 
  

   James. 
  The 
  patent 
  covering 
  this 
  grant 
  was 
  very 
  broad; 
  "he 
  

   was 
  to 
  enjoye 
  his 
  landes 
  in 
  as 
  lardge 
  and 
  ample 
  manner, 
  to 
  

   all 
  intentes 
  and 
  purposes, 
  as 
  any 
  Lord 
  of 
  any 
  Manours 
  in 
  

   England 
  dothe 
  holde 
  his 
  grounde" 
  ; 
  and 
  it 
  was 
  the 
  cause 
  of 
  

   the 
  first 
  contest 
  in 
  America 
  on 
  charter 
  rights 
  between 
  "The 
  

   First 
  House 
  of 
  Burgesses" 
  and 
  "their 
  loving 
  friend, 
  Captain 
  

   John 
  Martin, 
  Esquire, 
  Master 
  of 
  the 
  Ordnance," 
  a 
  contest 
  

   that 
  took 
  Martin 
  back 
  to 
  England 
  more 
  than 
  once 
  and 
  which 
  

   provoked 
  much 
  contention 
  in 
  the 
  colony 
  for 
  many 
  years. 
  

   The 
  original 
  deed 
  to 
  Captain 
  Martin 
  is 
  still 
  in 
  the 
  possession 
  

   of 
  the 
  present 
  owner 
  of 
  the 
  plantation, 
  Mrs. 
  Gulie 
  C. 
  Harri- 
  

  

  Governor 
  Parke 
  

  

  Evelyn 
  Byrd 
  

  

  Colonel 
  William 
  Byrd 
  

  

  