Tuesday, March 20, 2007

historic house tour: gunston hall

Sleet and freezing rain couldn't stop our little group from making its way to Gunston Hall ~ and by the time we got there the weather had cleared and it was just (darn!) cold and windy. Built in the 1750s, Gunston Hall was the home of George Mason, one of the crafters of the Constitution. It has some of the most extraordinary woodworking of any Georgian House I have seen. Unfortunately I couldn't take photos inside, so the only two images here of the interior are scanned from postcards ~ but you get the idea.

Outbuildings, including the kitchen (left) and wash house (right).

The little parlor, which served as Mason's office and family dining room.

The dining room ~ all of the architectural details are carved wood, not plaster! The walls are currently uncovered as the house is undergoing restoration ~ they eventually will have either a blue and white patterned paper, or a plain Prussian blue paper.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love seeing the photos from your tours. I really miss the Virginia area and this gives me a bit of home when I'm feeling blue. I hope you have Monticello and Montpelier on your list. They are fabulous to see in the Spring or Summer months.

Janet said...

Oh, thank you! And yes, Monticello and Montpelier are on the list. There is talk of doing southern Virginia this fall (including Shirley Plantation and Historic Richmond).