Quaint Houses of the South 
“WESTOVER” 
An Historic Virginia Mansion 
By DAY ALLEN WILLEY 
W HEN we think of Virginia we associate this 
State with the many homes of Colonial 
days which fortunately are still preserved 
to such an extent that the architecture of the houses 
and to a certain degree the original arrangement of 
the gardens and lawns surrounding, can be studied. 
Of the interesting manor-houses, however, “West- 
over” house is perhaps the most interesting because 
it is not only so well preserved to-day but because 
of its great historic interest and the fact that it was 
owned by a man who not only had the wealth but the 
ability to make it a center of culture. 
Upon the shores of the James river still stand a 
number of mansions which were built in the eight¬ 
eenth century. Among them all, however, “West- 
over” is conspicuous both for its size and design. A 
mere glance at the exterior of the house impresses the 
visitor with its generous proportions—generous for 
the times when it was built, as the bricks and so 
much of the material composing it were brought from 
the Old World. The main building, three stories 
in height, is surmounted by one of the familiar 
steep hipped roofs which is relieved by a row of 
dormer windows. This portion of the building 
seems modern in contrast with the lower portion with 
its picturesque entrance reached by a series of three- 
sided stone steps. The remarkably broad facade 
of red brick is 
especially no¬ 
ticeable as well 
as the excellent 
condition of 
the exterior of 
the main build¬ 
ing. The same 
may be said, 
however, of the 
wings which 
a re connected 
by colonnades 
with the house 
proper. 
Stepping in¬ 
side the main 
entrance,atten¬ 
tion is first 
attracted r to 
the s’pacious 
hallway which was elaborately carved and paneled 
by the builder even tor the Colonial period when 
this form of decoration was so popular. The 
hall is about ten feet in width and is further 
adorned with very wide and ornamental cornices. 
At the left of the hall are the library and dining¬ 
room, each of which still contains the decora¬ 
tions of walls and ceiling with which they were 
originally ornamented. It may be said here that the 
Library at “Westover” originally contained the 
finest and largest private collection of books owned 
in America, at the time aggregating nearly four 
thousand volumes. Some of the furniture of the 
last century also remains in these rooms as well as 
excellent examples of Colonial chairs and tables in 
the parlor which is, of course, located opposite. 
The elaborate stairway, reaching from the front 
hall to the upper portion of the house, is also worthy 
of mention. It can truly be called artistic in its 
design and finish. Divided into two sections these 
are joined at nearly right angles. While the stair¬ 
case is of remarkable width, considering the period 
when it was constructed, its twisted balusters 
carved out of solid mahogany arouse the admiration 
of the visitor who appreciates the quality of its 
material and workmanship. The chambers above 
are finished and decorated with the same elegance 
and refinement 
which marks 
the interior 
of the lower 
rooms. 
Possibly the 
most notable 
feature of the 
interior of the 
building is the 
mantel in the 
drawing-room. 
The owner se¬ 
cured this in 
Italy,paying an 
equivalent of 
twenty-five 
hundred dol¬ 
lars in Ameri¬ 
can money for 
it, a very large 
231 
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