Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.Fithian, Philip Vickers
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Journal and Letters of Philip Vickers Fithian: A Plantation Tutor of the Old Dominion, 1773-1774.
Fithian, Philip Vickers
Carter family; Virginia -- Social life and customs -- To 1775
It has five Stacks of Chimneys, tho two of these serve only for
ornament. There is a beautiful Jutt, on the South side, eighteen feet
long, & eight Feet deep from the wall which is supported by three tall
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 eighteen Lights; & below two Windows both with
eighteen Lights & a Door with nine--
The North side I think is most beautiful of all; In the upper Story is
a Row of seven Windows with eighteen 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 four Rooms on a Floor,
disposed of in the following manner. Below is a dining Room where we
usually sit; the second is a dining-Room for the Children; the third
is Mr Carters study; & the fourth is a Ball-Room thirty Feet
long--Above stairs, one Room is for Mr & Mrs Carter; the second for
the young Ladies; & the other two for occasional Company--As this
House is large, & stands on a high piece of Land it may be seen a
considerable distance; I have seen it at the Distance of six Miles--At
equal Distances from each corner of this Building stand four other
considerable Houses, which I shall next a little describe. First, at
the North East corner, & at 100 yards Distance stands the
School-House; At the North-West Corner, & at the same Distance stands
the stable; At the South-West Corner, & at the same Distance, stands
the Coach-House; And lastly, at the South-East corner, & at an equal
distance stands the Work-House. These four Houses are the corner of a
Square of which the Great-House is the Center--First the School-House
is forty five feet long, from East to West, & twenty-seven from North
to South; It has five well-finished, convenient Rooms, three below
stairs, & two above; It is built with Brick a Story & a half high with
Dormant Windows; In each Room is a fire; In the large Room
below-Stairs we keep our School; the other two Rooms below which are
smaller are allowed to Mr Randolph the Clerk; The Room above the
School-Room Ben and I live in; & the other Room above Stairs belongs
to _Harry_ & _Bob_. Five of us live in this House with great Neatness,
& convenience; each one has a Bed to himself--And we are call'd by the
Bell to the Great-House to Breakfast &c--The Wash-House is built in
the same form, & is of the same Size of the School-House--From the
front yard of the Great House, to the Wash-House is a curious
_Terrace_, covered finely with Green turf, & about five foot high with
a slope of eight feet, which appears exceeding well to persons coming
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