Revolutionary generals, a man
who had mingled in the best society of Europe, was fascinated with the
evidence of luxury, culture and, feminine refinement of the Old
Dominion, and declared that Virginia women might become excellent
musicians if the fox-hounds would stop baying for a little while each
day. He met several ladies who sang well and "played on the
harpsichord"; he was delighted at the number of excellent French and
English authors he found in the libraries; and, above all, he was
surprised at the natural dignity of many of the older men and women, and
at the evidences of domestic felicity found in the great homes.

_II. Splendor in the Southern Home_

Of these vast, rambling mansions numerous descriptions have been handed
down to our day. The following, written in 1774, is an account recorded
in his diary by the tutor, Philip Fithian, in the family of a Virginia
planter:

"Mr. Carter has chosen for the place of his habitation a high
spot of Ground in Westmoreland County ... where he has erected a
large, Elegant House, at a vast expense, which commonly goes by
the name of Nomini-Hall. This House is built with Brick but the
bricks have been covered with strong lime Mortar, so that the
building is now perfectly white (erected in 1732). It is
seventy-six Feet long from East to West; & forty-four wide from
North to South, two stories high; ... It has five stacks of
Chimneys, tho' two of these serve only for ornaments."

"There is a beautiful Jutt, on the South side, eighteen feet
long, & eight Feet deep from the wall which is supported by three
pillars--On the South side, or front, in the upper story are four
Windows each having twenty-four Lights of Glass. In the lower
story are two Windows each having forty-two Lights of Glass, &
two Doors each having Sixteen Lights. At the east end the upper
story has three windows each with 18 lights; & below two windows
both with eighteen lights & a door with nine...."

"The North side I think is the most beautiful of all. In the
upper story is a row of seven windows with 18 lights a piece; and
below six windows, with the like number of lights; besides a
large Portico in the middle, at the sides of which are two
windows each with eighteen lights.... At the west end are no
Windows--The number of lights in all is five hundred, & forty
nine. There are f