ped ballroom. The beautiful Palladian
windows on either side of this facade and recessed within an arch in the
masonry are among the chief distinctions of the house. An examination of
them indicates as convincingly as any modern work the delightful accord
that may exist between gray stone and white woodwork, and draws
attention to the masonry itself. The use of relatively small stones has
resulted in an unconventional though pleasing wall effect, due to the
prominence and rough character of the pointing which has been brought
well out to the edges of the stones.

A word may well be said in passing in regard to the stable at The
Woodlands, which, while rightly unassuming, lives in complete accord
with the house, as every outbuilding should. A hip-roofed structure with
lean-to wings, it is essentially a Georgian conception. Its walls are of
ledge stone like the house, broken by a symmetrical arrangement of
recessed arches in which the various doors and windows are set, and
further embellished by a four-course belt of brick at the second-floor
level.

The Woodlands was built in 1770 by William Hamilton on an estate
purchased in 1735 by his grandfather, Andrew Hamilton, the first of that
name in America. It is the second house on the site, the first having
made way for the present spacious structure which was designed to give
expression to the tastes and desires of its builder. William Hamilton
was one of the wealthiest men of his day and loved display and the role
of a lavish host. Maintaining a large retinue of servants and living in
a style surpassing that of most of his neighbors, his dinner parties and
other social gatherings were attended by the most eminent personages of
the time. A man of culture and refinement, he accumulated many valuable
paintings and rare books, and his gardens, greenhouse and grounds were
his particular pride and joy. To a large collection of native American
plants and shrubs he added many exotic trees and plants. To him is
credited the introduction of the Ginkgo tree and the Lombardy poplar to
America.

William Hamilton was a nephew of Governor James Hamilton, by whose
permission, granted to William Hallam and his Old American Company of
strolling players, the drama was established in Philadelphia in 1754,
despite the strong opposition of the Friends. William Hamilton raised a
regiment in his neighborhood to assist in the Revolution, but being
opposed to a complete break with the mother cou