This Italian Villa mansion was built by a Dr. Samuel Mansfield, a wholesale druggist, probably as a wedding present for the wife he married in 1855. In 1869 Robert Brinkley bought it as a wedding gift for his daughter, Annie Overton Brinkley, who married Col. Robert Bogardus Snowden. The two-hundred-acre estate was named Annesdale, pronounced "Annie's Dale," in her honor.
Architecturally, the house, with its square tower, bracketed cornice, round-arched porch, and asymmetrical plan, was absolutely up-to-date for the mid-1850's. Although the name of its designer is unknown, details of the exterior and elements of the plan quite possibly were derived from a "Norman Villa" designed by the Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloane and published in his book, The Model Architect, in 1852. Sloane designed one of the South's great houses, the Arabian-Nights fantasy of Longwood, at Natchez, in 1859, which was based on "An Oriental Villa" in The Model Architect.
Gorgeous furnishings,
And ornate fireplaces in every room.
Now I'll leave you alone and let you look around and take in all of the beauty.
I was so excited when the package arrived, and I couldn't wait to get it out and plug it in. When I started opening the package, I found even more goodies inside! Just look at all of the surprises Martha sent me, and isn't her little notecard just the cutest?
Martha has apparently read my blog enough to know that I love anything Mary Engelbreit! Aren't those cute? And did you see those cute Halloween tissues and the candle (cider web-isn't that a cute fragrance name?). I know Martha thought I didn't have enough Halloween decor at my house! Thank you so much Martha. If you don't know Martha, you need to go meet her at Mid-Atlantic Martha. You'll love what you find on her blog.
As always, I so appreciate you coming to visit my blog, and I love reading your comments. laurie
