Kips Bay Showhouse

Many people who have acquired an historic home approach living in it with reverence and a sense of homage. It is wonderful that you have a healthy respect for the home and its history, but unless you are moving into a significant property in your community, respect but not reverence is the way to go.

I have no problem with someone deciding to paint the dining room raspberry if it works for them. As I have said many times, your house usually has had many different owners with varied tastes, and your history is no less important.

Every generation has its own opportunity to make “contemporary” additions in structure or design and your generation is no different.

So paint any color that makes you happy. Design your house to become a beloved home that reflects YOUR beliefs, heritage and aspirations.

Now go out there and make some history….of your own.

Where Do I Begin

You have finally settled on the home of your dreams.  You knew from the moment you walked into the front parlor that you had to buy it.  After weeks of stress you finally walk into the home.  The walls are bare, the furniture is gone, and all of a sudden you realize what a leap you just made.  Where do you start?

First let’s talk research.  Those of you who have just purchased a house with “history”  may already be lucky enough to have the homes past already documented. Most  of us though are not so fortunate.  You must think in the broadest of terms.  Think of all context concerning the house i.e its physical, social, and historical presence at the time your house was built.  You need to see your home through the eyes of the people who lived there in order to see how they lived there. What was going on in their world both historically and socially at the time?

You will need to make a list of all the names, ages, and dates of the people who lived in the house.  Then list them chronologically  into a historical framework. Your county clerk will be your new best friend for they hold the key to the records and public papers that will document the history of the home you now own.  You will then want to visit the local Historical Society to research further.  They will no doubt have knowledge and documentation of not only your home and neighborhood but also the people who have lived there in the past. Many times the members of the society are more than willing to pass on the names of reputable tradesmen, in the area, who can help you in the restoration of your home.

Soulspace by Xorin Balbes

“Forget about other people’s styles. What do you love about yourself? What do you want to learn about yourself? What parts of your soul need to be expressed and set free into the world? With these words award-winning interior designer Xorin Balbes invites us to make of our homes — whether large or small, luxurious or simple — a sacred space in which we can grow and flourish, a true “ SoulSpace.” He invites ourselves to know exactly what we need to thrive and to experiment, if we are still learning to listen to own inner voice, to “move the couch a hundred times if you have to until it feels just right, until our whole being can resound with a strong and confident yes to our environment.”

-He suggests that the way we often organize our homes reflects unresolved issues and relationships that we need to face and deal with.
-Clearing out and de-cluttering our living space allows us to let go of the past, claim the space anew for the person we are today, and welcome the the person we wish to become.
-It’s not necessary to live in a grand home filled with expensive furnishings to create a true SoulSpace.
-Lovely flowers grown from seed can grace an urban windowsill, and a consignment shop may hold your next treasure.
-The Eight stage Soul-Space process: assess, release, cleanse, dream, discover, create, elevate, and celebrate.

Each step involves turning inward to understand the “interior design” of our being — the way we think, dream, live, love, and perceive the world. As Balbes ably demonstrates, “Creating space for your soul is the greatest gift you can give yourself.”

[This text was taken from the magazine “Spirituality and Health” book review.]

In the field of interior design one of the first principles to be learned is that no design is “brand new.”  It is always something from a concept that came before—the legs on the “new” chair are from the Chippendale period, the fabric on the “new” sofa is an ancient “Ikat” design.

When we examine different periods within the parameters of this website, from 1680-1930, we find that the Victorian Renaissance period had elements drawn from the middle ages, the Arts and Crafts period had ideas from the earlier 17th century with its many motifs and colors taken directly from the “natural” world.

All that we “design” in this field is based on fundamentals that came before us—they have stood the test of time and have proven to be good enough to be revisited again. Even the most “modern” of rooms is based in good design that give it that “new” look.  Our industry is just like the fashion industry, we know this when we see bell bottomed pants and “maxi” dresses come down the runway that last saw them in the early ’70’s. ( Rule of thumb my mother taught me, if you wore it 20 years before, don’t wear it again, whether it fits or not).

Historic Design is in some ways the easiest design form to practice. The boundaries are clear, the decision has in many cases, has already been made for you by the owners of the house in the period you are hired to interpret, or even better, the curator is responsible for the research and you the fabrication. 

 It is a slippery slope when a curator or historic interior designer starts to veer from the research they have produced just because of their tastes or desires. “When in doubt, leave blank” is a really good rule of thumb for those of us in this field. When you do venture off the reservation into undocumented territory you inevitably will find yourself painted into a corner that you will have to retreat from. 

Beware the ego of the designer or curator driving the project instead of clear, careful planning. Remember that for most historic house museum’s, the interpretive dollar is dear and must be spent with an eye to the practical as well as the scholarship behind the design.

Sometimes it really is ok to use a reproduction fabric or piece rather than ordering from the same mill used 200 years ago. In these times of belt tightening, I cannot see any justification for a curator or designer insisting on rejecting a reasonable reproduction.  Believe me, the original owners of the house you are interpreting would forgive you,     really.

I am often asked to come to someone’s home after they move and place pictures, furniture etc. I use a simple formula for all decisions concerning placement of anything in any room. First and foremost is the objects importance to the homeowner. Why do they have it? Is it a family piece or something they bought when the kids were little? After we determine its emotional importance in their lives we either discard it or place it in the order of its importance. When we are done, most times this results in a new house becoming their home. The emotion with which you associate certain pieces is a natural elimination process.  Its important for the home to reflect the clients life and loves. I recently had to opportunity to help a dear friend with thier new move. The house they are temporarily renting was not their first choice but time constraints made it more appealing as the days passed in their hunt and in they moved.  As we worked on placing pictures, photo’s and furniture. I was struck by the small story attached to each piece. “My daughter painted this her first year in college”,” Uncle George gave us that”, and “This was my Grandmother’s bible”.  Almost each piece had a story or thread woven into this very special families life and the house flew together. (Easy for me to say, I just pointed as I sat, they had to lug the boxes up and down the stairs and unpack everything)  My point to this tale is simple, your home should be a emotional touchstone of your families life. It should reflect through its objects that are around you the collective history of the the occupants. A designer should only act as a navigator through this and help you as the homeowner find that perfect place where your beloved item is seen everyday.

A small reminder of where you have been in your life and those who came before you. This is what makes a houses history and hopefully the house your home.

The Civil War Thanksgiving

With the 1864 proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln making a day in late November as a day of national thanksgiving, he gave the nation a unique holiday found only in America. One that is based on a nation that though in bitter conflict wanted to celebrate the blessings of the gift of America that most felt was a gift from God.

We are a nation that is hemmed in prayer and hospitality. This day which is so truly American is one that gives us a glimpse of the true American spirit. One that is , no matter what side a soldier of the war found himself on, celebrated the same, taking a brief moment in time to bow his head and give thanks for the gift from God that is America.

Following is a wonderful article by James S. Robbins on the origins of the first Civil War Thanksgiving.

Giving Thanks in Wartime
November 24, 2004, 8:51 a.m. James S. Robbins/The National Review

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Thanksgiving of 1864.
When we sit down to our Thanksgiving meals this year, we should take some time to remember the men and women in uniform who are unable to spend the holiday with their own families. We might also remember that Thanksgiving became a national holiday in time of war, and largely due to an effort 140 years ago to ensure that our soldiers and sailors in the field enjoyed some of the comforts of home.

Thanksgiving originated in Massachusetts and on the eve of the Civil War was still not observed nationally. In the 1850s, Thanksgiving was celebrated in about ten states in New England and the midwest. It was a time both of feasting and of charity, acknowledging the blessings of plenty while remembering those who had little. “Eat the fat, and drink the sweet,” counseled a New York Times editorial in 1851, “and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared.” When war broke out the observance became more widespread, and in 1861 the number of states celebrating Thanksgiving doubled. Troops took their traditions with them to the front, and the soldiers of Massachusetts regiments in particular held grand feasts in their field commands. Massachusetts Governor John A. Andrew decreed such a celebration during the first November of the war, hoping that “military duties may not be inconsistent with their observation, in some fitting manner, of the day annually set apart for the renewal and enlivening of the domestic affections.”
President Lincoln declared a number of thanksgivings, for example in April 1862, and July 1863 after Gettysburg. Two months later Lady’s Book magazine editor Sarah Hale wrote a letter to Lincoln urging him to proclaim a national day of Thanksgiving reflecting the traditional holiday. Lincoln soon issued a declaration asking that the blessings bestowed upon the country “be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people” and inviting Americans at home and abroad “to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” This was the first general Thanksgiving observance, but the following year the holiday became the occasion for a national show of unity and support.

In October 1864, the president again decreed that the last Thursday of November be set aside to offer up prayers “for a return of the inestimable blessings of peace, union, and harmony throughout the land which it has pleased Him to assign as a dwelling-place for ourselves and for our posterity throughout all generations.” Shortly thereafter, on October 27, a citizen of New York City known first only by the initials GWB (belonging to noted editor George W. Blunt), used the occasion of the holiday to propose a great national endeavor. Blunt suggested that “something be done for the Army and Navy” for Thanksgiving, “not only to aid them in keeping the day properly, but to show them they are remembered at home.” He proposed to send the troops “poultry and pies, or puddings, all cooked, ready for use.” He estimated it would take 50,000 turkeys and a like number of pies to feed the 220,000 men of the Army and Navy in Virginia then besieging Richmond. “This seems to be a big undertaking,” he wrote, “but I do not see any difficulty in carrying it out.” The food could be prepared and boxed up by those who could afford it, and shipped from New York a few days in advance, in time to be distributed the day before. If the idea has merit, he wrote, “I am ready to do my best with others to put it through.”

A committee was set up to organize the effort, their goal being that on Thanksgiving Day there would be no soldier or sailor in the eastern theater “who does not receive tangible evidence that those for whom he is periling his life remember him.” They felt it was particularly important to reach men who had no families back home. Blunt served as the committee’s executive director, and the treasurer was Theodore Roosevelt, father of the future president (then six years old). “Will not all who feel that we have a country worth defending and preserving,” the committee wrote in the Times, “do something to show those who are fighting our battles that they are remembered and honored?” The appeal was reprinted in many papers and the proposal caught on immediately.

Contributions began to come in from all over the country. Within three weeks, with little publicity and no direct solicitation, the committee had collected $50,000 (almost $600,000 in today’s dollars). The Times reprinted some of the letters sent accompanying the contributions. One contributor, signing “Little Mac” in homage to recently defeated Democratic presidential candidate and former Union General George McClellan, noted in verse,

Although I voted a Democrat,
But it has nothing to do with that.
It only shows a man can be
A Democrat and love sweet liberty.

Public stores were made available for the turkeys and “other good things for the soldiers and sailors on the James.” Goods were to be cooked, wrapped in white paper, packed in straw in boxes or barrels, and marked “Our Defenders, City Point.” Private transport companies volunteered to ship the materials by rail and steamship. The food drive was emulated in other cities. Ladies of Jersey City contributed $1,500 for the purchase of cigars and tobacco for the troops. The citizens of Orange, New Jersey, sent bags of tomatoes for sauces. There was a proposal to send 1,000 barrels of apples to soldiers, and the Army Apple Fund was born. The governor of Ohio suggested that the Saturday following Thanksgiving be devoted to helping the families of servicemen, especially those suffering privations by the absence of their men. It was called “a day of gladness for the wives and children of our brave defenders,” and is an idea that still has merit.

As the day neared, the foodstuffs were collected and shipped out. Steamers took meals to sailors and Marines in the blockade forces, and in the ports and fortifications along the eastern seaboard. Trains headed south to predetermined distribution points. Blunt believed the effect of the outpouring of public support would inspire the troops to “hit the rebels a harder lick than ever.” Meanwhile Jefferson Davis also declared a Thanksgiving day, for November 16, 1864, a day “specially devoted to the worship of Almighty God,” that the people of the Confederacy would join together in prayer that God would, inter alia, “restore peace to our beloved country, healing its bleeding wounds and securing to us the continued enjoyment of our right of self-government and independence.” But when the day arrived, Atlanta was in flames, Sherman started his march to the sea, and Lee’s men huddled in their trenches around Richmond. Confederate War Department clerk J. B. Jones dryly noted in his diary that the Confederate Thanksgiving was “like Sunday, with an occasional report of cannon down the river.”

November 24 dawned cold, bright, and brilliant on the eastern seaboard. General George G. Meade reported to Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, “Nothing new or important this morning except the arrival of deserters, who report the occupation of Macon by Sherman.” Sherman’s Army continued its march, sadly unable to be reached with the Thanksgiving turkeys, but not having time to pause. In Virginia and North Carolina, Union troops were “relieved from all duty not essential to the safety of the command.” Turkey feasts were enjoyed by Union troops in camps, on the siege lines, and in the rear areas. Seventeen thousand meals were served in Washington, DC, to troops defending the city and convalescing in hospitals. A large banquet was held in Alexandria, Virginia, followed by a grand ball. In Baltimore, the Union Ladies’ Committee distributed meals to Union soldiers and rebel prisoners alike. At Camp Parole, in Annapolis, roast turkey had been the primary topic of conversation for days. That morning “every face wore a joyous aspect, in anticipation of the good things in preparation for the dinner.” Orderlies set long tables of turkey, pies, bread, butter, tea and cider. Fourteen hundred men sat down, Federal soldiers and paroled Confederates, men from every state in the Union, probably the first such all-American Thanksgiving meal ever.

Shipments sent to the Shenandoah Valley were coordinated with the city of Philadelphia. When transportation arrangements broke down at the last minute, Reverend George F. Noyes personally undertook the mission to get the food delivered. “The want of proper appliances compelled most of the men to broil or stew their turkeys,” he wrote, “but everyone seemed fully satisfied, and appreciated the significance of this sympathetic thank-offering from the loyal North. One soldier said to me, ‘It isn’t the turkey, but the idea that we care for,’ and he thus struck the key-note of the whole festival.” Fearing shortages, General Sheridan ordered the food first be distributed to enlisted men, but some officers had made independent arrangements for their units guaranteeing there was plenty for all. “Joy and festivity were the order of the day,” a correspondent wrote, “and you may depend upon it that our brave fellows in the field knew how to do justice to the occasion.” Near New Town, Virginia, the officers and men of the Ninetieth New York regiment sat down to a feast of turkeys, chickens, cakes and fruits, “more evidence that we are not forgotten, nor can we ever forget those who, while they are enjoying all the comforts of home and plenty, still think of, and by their noble deeds testify that they remember the soldiers.”

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Thanksgiving united the country in the spirit of giving, gratitude, and patriotism. It showed the troops at the front that the country was behind them, and solidified Thanksgiving as a national observance. So please take a minute to remember those who are giving so much for us, or better yet find a way to let them know that you care — www.americasupportsyou.mil is a good place to start. Let’s give our service people all the support we can, so they will be able to say, in the words of a Union soldier, “When we are asked, ‘Do they think of us at home?’ our own hearts can willingly and gladly respond, ‘They do.’”
* * *

Mansion front, Federal architecture, Rhode Island style 1795-1805 4 1/2 stories high, 5 bays wide.

Poplar Hill Mansion, Salisbury’s oldest documented Federal  home was built as a manor farm house, by Levin Handy between 1795-1805.  This historic house museum survived two great fires that raged through Salisbury in 1860 and 1886, destroying most of Salisbury’s oldest structures.  The Mansion, recently restored to its original historic colors is open to the public for free tours the 1^st and 3^rd Sundays of each month, private tours by reservation for a small fee,  many fundraising events and exhibits, and available to rent for weddings , meetings and other parties.

The photo of the green room with faux marbled green fireplace and Windsor rocker is the small dining room done in the colors of the 2nd period of paint found. Possibly done between 1807-1830

In 2007, a professional paint analysis was done revealing the first 3 periods of paint colors used on the first floor.  The interior paint restoration using the first two periods of paint was completed early this year.  Favorite colors of the Federal period, golden ochre, Chinese red, and turquoise  highlight the outstanding hand carved, cornices, chair rails and other woodwork.  Faux marbling once again compliments the great arch in the center hallway, bringing this house back to its former glory.

This year the Board of Directors completed a formal serpentine garden on the back lawn ,with boxwoods, fountain, flower gardens and brick walkway with engraved  bricks available for purchase.  Long a favorite spot for weddings and summer parties, the back lawn is now as beautiful as the interior.

Photo of reddish orange wall and golden ochre glazed fireplace is the dining room , 1st period colors,probably done between 1805-07

Upcoming fundraising events at Poplar Hill Mansion are the Sept. 21^st tea and fashion show, Antique toy show, Nov, 12^th and 13^th,Fall luncheon and fashion show Nov. 16^th, Yuletide open house, Dec.4^th, and children’s Tea with Santa, Dec. 10^th.  For more information check our website at www.poplarhillmansion.org, or email curator@poplarhillmansion.org.

Come experience the Federal period at Poplar Hill Mansion!

Turquoise and golden ochre ceiling cornices, 1st period, probably done between1805-1807

Historic Serpentine garden back lawn, 3rd floor view, completed May 2011

As many of you who follow my musings know, I am from a small town in West Virginia. Shepherdstown has been my family’s home for years, ever since I was ten. We moved there when our little house in “Clippe” (a small village also in Jefferson County) burned and my parents decided to move to the town where my father was employed as a history professor at the local college, Shepherd.

But back to “Clippe” (odd name for a place and, in truth, that is not this village’s true map name), now known as Middleway, which definitely has an 18th century air about it. When I was little we were not allowed to celebrate Halloween as most of the children we knew— oh no— we were brought up by a father that thought “Trick or Treat” was a form of blackmail. Instead, on Halloween night he would form his band of raiders from the slim pickings of his five children. He would take us on raids throughout the terrified village as the word spread that the dreaded Hafer children were out! From flour thrown on Mr. Wyncoops (yes that is his real name) car, blowing out jack o’lantern candles and running through the ancient “old church” graveyard with its upturned crypts and leaning gravestones, we thought that no one was more terrifying—not to mention more terrified than we were.

In the handmade costumes that my dear mother had fashioned from old clothes (I always wondered how she came up with pink tulle at the drop of a hat) and things about the house, we have Halloween memories that most of our generation do not have—truly homemade memories filled with excitement and fun and more than a hint of DANGER. Mostly our “raids” ended with our Dad or older brother carrying a little pink princess or cowboy home on his shoulders and the rest of us trooping behind.

The name of our little village that I knew at the time was known by locals as “Wizard Clippe” or just “Clippe” if you lived there. The site of a very famous 18th century ghost story, “The Legend of Wizards Clippe” was one that we were brought up with. The sites in the story we passed on our way to school every day (yes we walked to school and it had TWO rooms not one) and there is still an air about the place that is “other worldly” not somewhere that you have to stretch your imagination to see the events of the story before you.

I’ll close with the famous story as told to me as a child and documented in the papers of the time.

The Legend of Wizard Clippe

In the Southern part of historic Jefferson County, West Virginia, nestled among the foothills of the Blue Ridge, lies the ancient village of Wizard Clippe. The land upon which the village is located was included in the grants made to Mr. William Smith in 1729 by Sir William Gooche who was proprietor of that part of Virginia at that time. In 1732 the pioneer home of Mr. Smith was built. Surrounded by majestic hills, this, the first home of Wizard Clippe, was placed in a gloomy hollow, near a bottomless lake.

Among those who obtained land grants from Mr. Smith was a man named Livingstone. Mr. Livingstone selected land lying along the Opequon Creek, but also adjoining the village.
One night when the sky was inky black, the rain descended in torrents, and the winds rushed through the desolate pines with a wild bellow, a weary stranger presented himself at Mr. Livingstone’s door. With genial hospitality the traveler was welcomed.

In a few hours after retiring, the Stranger sent for Mr. Livingstone, and told him he was ill unto death. He requested that a Catholic priest might be sent for at once. Now, Mr. Livingstone was a bigoted man who hated the Catholic Church, and he swore no priest should enter his house. The Stranger (to whom no name has been given), begged again and again that a priest should be brought, but his host was obdurate. At the weird hour of midnight, while the elements fought their terrible battle, the soul of the Stranger, unblest and unshriven, took its flight. The next day his body was buried in unconsecrated ground. For many years his grave was pointed out to the curious.

Then a curse seemed to rest upon Mr. Livingstone and his possessions. A murrain seized his cattle, strange and mysterious sounds were heard about the house, and things were as though ruled by a demon. More dreadful than ought else was a clear, distinct, insistent clipping, clipping, clipping which went on day and night. The bed-linen, the clothing of the family and of visitors, the saddles, bridles, and harness were all clipped, and always in crescent or half-moon shape. Nothing was sacred from the terrible shears. The witches and wizards were now holding high revels. Mr. Livingstone, pursued by the horror of all this, dreamed a vivid dream in which he saw a man who promised to help him. On Sunday his wife, a devoted Catholic, persuaded him to go with her to a Catholic service at Shepherdstown. The instant Mr. Livingstone saw the priest, he cried out with streaming eyes, “That is the man who can rid me of the witches.” The priest was told the story and the next day he visited the home of Mr. Livingstone at Smithfield (Middleway), sprinkled holy water on the threshold of the house, prayed fervently, and consecrated the ground wherein the Stranger lay buried. He declared deliverance had come. Sure enough the clippings ceased, “the witches were laid,” and Mr. Livingstone was free.

Moved by gratitude he gave to the Catholic Church forty acres of land lying along the Opequon. The Church still owns this land and receives rent from it. It is known as the Priest’s Place. For four or five generations it was in the care of the Minghini family. Recently, however, the Church assumed control. A chapel has been erected on the site, and outdoor meetings are held frequently. It is an ideal spot for camping, and the Church has extended the use as such to all.

The “spell” cast upon the old village of Clippe still lingers upon it, and the bottomless lake through which the witches are said to have rushed when the priest exorcised them is still here; and the Opequon flows on, now calmly, now wildly, by the lonely grave of the Stranger.

Is it any wonder having spent my first years in this village that Halloween is my all time favorite holiday? I have copied verbatim from the text written by R. Helen Bates and printed in 1936 by the Middleway Historical Conservancy.

Many times a curator or designer is asked to “bridge” the different periods that the history of a house spans. They often have to choose which part of the house is most reflective of the period for which it is known and often this is the period of the greatest physical expansion of the home due to the means of its owners at the time.  You have the option of blending the various periods together and taking the different architectural aspects of the rooms by letting them lead you to the “interpretation” of that space—for instance,  a 1780 home that in 1870 had a front porch added complete with  gingerbread, but left the 18^th century kitchen hearth intact.  Two very different spaces yet giving the designer and or curator the option of white wicker furniture on the front porch and an 18^th century farm table and cupboard in the kitchen. These are solutions that private home owners come up with all the time and they work beautifully.  I love homes and museums that give a very clear depiction of the various periods the house has lived through. Historic homes really do reflect the truth of life, good and bad, flush or famine they reflect within their walls the truth and history of the families that have lived there. Just like a fascinating 90 year old who has witnessed and experienced so much and if we are lucky, gives us the privilege of learning from them.

I recently was given the opportunity to consult on the ongoing restoration of the Commandant’s house at 8th and I in Washington, D.C. On one level (professional) this was exciting though I have done other significant historical restoration projects, yet on another level (personal) this was perhaps the greatest thrill of my career.
I met my husband while I was an employee of the USO in Okinawa, Japan. He was a young 2nd Lt. and, as they say, “the rest is history.” He eventually left the Marine Corps for the FBI but the saying, “once a Marine always a Marine” is very true. This was no more evident than when he heard of my upcoming involvement with this project and was more delighted than I was. Now he is, perhaps more than most husbands, very supportive and proud of my endeavors but to be involved with the legendary “8th and I” was waaaay cooler than anything I have done so far—sorry James Madison.

I must say that as I entered the home through its temporary cocoon of plastic and scaffolding, I felt a thrill that I often feel in a beautiful church or at an overlook in my beloved Shenandoah Valley. Here was the Commandant’s wife, Bonnie Amos and a predecessor of hers, Mrs. Conway, showing me the rooms that were in various stages of repair describing what their function is and what furniture goes in each room as well as how the sunlight hits the room at the different times of day. As we moved along I learned that this home was just being restored in its structure, meaning that rotted beams were being taken care of and new mechanical systems were being installed. The interiors such as the carpets, furniture and draperies are carefully stored to be put back in place when the house emerges intact and the rooms have been freshly painted. My participation will be advisory in nature and I am grateful for a chance to “give back” in some small way to the Marine Corps.

As I drove home I thought how typical of a military wife, to be very respectful of the money entrusted to her on behalf of the Corps—thinking in a practical way of what can be kept and not discarded for “new,” Mrs. Amos struck me as someone who very much cares about the Commandant’s house as the home for the entire Corps, and I loved her careful deliberation about the smallest detail of the project.
It was wonderful to spend some time “home” with Mrs. Conway, Mrs. Amos, and her wonderful aide Major Mellon. All who are Marines or are married to one can rest assured that this wonderful house, which means so much to the Marine Corps, is in loving and trusted hands.

I would like to urge you if you have a chance to visit this wonderful home. Although not open to the public you can see the beautiful house from the street or take the time to visit on one of the Friday’s in May through August for the renowned “Evening Parade”. A very moving and inspiring event that will make you and your children, who I urge you to bring, take a moment and thank the Marines for their service to our country.

I will give you an update as the project moves along with images from the house as the house is completed.