d, from which the estate was
named "Green Meadows."
[Illustration: GREEN MEADOWS--FRONT VIEW]
The original house, separated from the highway by an old wall of field
stone and an elm-shaded dooryard, was built in 1786, and it is curious
to note that no deed was ever recorded. It was the usual type of
farmhouse, constructed about a central chimney, two and a half stories
in height, with an unbroken roof line. Subsequent owners had added wings
at each side instead of the more customary ell at the rear. One of these
wings is of brick, which indicates that it was probably not built before
the middle of the last century, but although the two building materials
seem incongruous in the one house, vines have so overgrown this wing
that the red glimpsed through them and contrasting with the white walls
of the house is very attractive.
The only important alterations in the exterior appearance of the house
were in the addition of the long veranda across the rear and the
alteration of the frame wing at the right. The old structure was found
to be in too dilapidated a condition to restore, but it was reproduced
in all its exterior details and joined to the end of a new wing attached
to the house and a trifle broader than the old. Two hip-roofed dormers
add to the space in the second floor and permit the construction of
attractive servants' quarters.
The frame of the entrance door in the center of the front facade is a
particularly happy example of the simple Georgian style used in the
better class of farmhouses of that day. Its flat pilasters and
well-proportioned cornice illustrate the restraint and refinement in the
work of even the average builders.
The door itself opens into a small hallway, restored with fresh white
paint to all its original beauty.
On this left side of the house the partition between the old
dining-room and parlor has been removed to make one large living-room.
After the cornices and the wainscoting were restored, the woodwork,
including the encased beams in the ceiling, was painted white. The
condition of the old floor made it necessary to lay a new one of hard
wood. This room admirably reflects the old Colonial spirit in its
fireplace and cupboards. The paneling above the mantel shelf presents an
interesting variation in the framing of fireplaces. The original
wainscot with its molded cap divides the wall surface in an agreeable
proportion, and the rather heavy cornice moldings at the ceiling lin
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