. Historic Virginia homes and churches . L^nited States and looks the part. Stand-ing out from among century-old trees, upon a hill clothedwith the deep-toned, deep-piled velvet of blue-grass, thisnoble brick mansion with its tall chimneys, and its Greekportico whose white columns are thirty feet high, dominatesthe country for miles around. Its windows look acrossrolling farm-lands, upon the Blue Ridge in one directionand the Catoctin Hills in another, while against the south-eastern sky stands lofty Sugar-loaf. The house was built by James INIonroe, during his presi-dency, to replace a dormer
. Historic Virginia homes and churches . L^nited States and looks the part. Stand-ing out from among century-old trees, upon a hill clothedwith the deep-toned, deep-piled velvet of blue-grass, thisnoble brick mansion with its tall chimneys, and its Greekportico whose white columns are thirty feet high, dominatesthe country for miles around. Its windows look acrossrolling farm-lands, upon the Blue Ridge in one directionand the Catoctin Hills in another, while against the south-eastern sky stands lofty Sugar-loaf. The house was built by James INIonroe, during his presi-dency, to replace a dormer-windowed cottage which hadlong been the home of the Monroe family. It takes its 373 374 VIRGINIA HOMES AND CHURCHES name from a <^toiii) of fine oaks on the wide-spreadinglawn on which President JNIonroe jjlanted a tree from eachState in the Union, presented to liim for the purpose by thecongressmen from the respective States. General Lafayette was a guest at Oak Hill during hisvisit to Virginia in 1824. and mementos of his stay may. OAK HILL (FRONT), LOUDOUN COUNTY still be seen in the beautiful mantel-pieces in the drawing-room, which were presents from him to the house. Upon JMonroes death, in 1831, at the home of hisdaughter, Mrs. Gouverneur, of New York, Oak Hill passedto the Gouverneurs, who, in 1852, sold it to Colonel JohnM. Fairfax. Among Monroe relics that went with theplace was a handsome backgammon table with ivory play-ing pieces, presented to Mr. Monroe by the American Min-ister at Paris. Between the wood and marble tops of thistable ]Mrs. Fairfax found a safe hiding-place for her jewelswhen the house was searched by Northern soldiers, whofrequently occupied it during the War between the States,but treated the home of INIonroe with unusual respect. PIEDMONT AND THE SOUTH SH)E 375 jMaiiy of the famous raids of the redoubtable Moshywere direeted from the Oak Hill house, the front porehserving as a position of vantage. Colonel Fairfax washimself an offieer on Gen
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Keywords: ., book, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectchurchbuildings
