1937
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library Research Report Series - 1409
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Library
Williamsburg, Virginia
1990
August 18, 1937
Philip Ludwell II of Green Spring in James City County, built this town house some time prior to 1717, in order to have suitable quarters when public affairs required his presence in the new capital city. As the youngest man to serve as Speaker of the House of Burgesses, and later as a member of the Council of Colonial Virginia, Ludwell upheld a family tradition of public leadership and service.
After his death the house served a similar function for his son, Philip Ludwell III who inherited his vast properties, and also served as Councillor. The latter died in 1767, the last male Ludwell, and his estate was divided among his three daughters.
The brick house ultimately became the residence of Lucy Ludwell, who was known in social and literary London as "the beautiful and lively American" whose daring and high temper offended some, but charmed many. She was only sixteen in 1769, when she so charmed her scholarly guardian, John Paradise, that they were married.
Paradise was a linguist, and citizen of the world; an intimate of Dr. Samuel Johnson and a member of his celebrated Essex Street Club. Just two months before his death, Dr. Johnson wrote to his friend Paradise:
Though in all my summer's excursion, I have given you no account of myself, I hope you think better of me than to imagine it possible for me to forget you, whose kindness to me has been too great and too constant not to have made its impression upon a harder heart than mine... I hope, dear sir, that you grow better, for you have likewise your share of human evil, and that your lady and the young charmers are well.Property in Virginia which Paradise owned in his wife's right was part of his share of "human evil", for in 1779 a zealous commonwealth decided that he was a British citizen, and so confiscated it. When Dr. Johnson heard of the seizure he referred to it as "Paradise's Loss".
Through the intercession of Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other influential Americans who were friends of her father and of her husband, Lucy pressed her claims with such diligence, that the property was restored to them.
After the death of John and Lucy Paradise, the property was involved in litigation for several decades, Mrs. Paradise's Virginia-born niece and Venetian grandson struggling for title. The grandson, Philip Barziza, son of a Venetian nobleman, came to Virginia to claim his inheritance, and married one of the town belles. Their ten children, according to town tradition, were born in this house, and the tenth child was christened Decimus Ultimus.
Because of its unique historical, literary, social and architectural associations, it was decided to restore this house as an exhibition building, without modern conveniences or modern workmanship.
The exterior of the house was virtually unchanged from the day of its erection, but the interior had lost its fine old woodwork in some wave of modernizing about 1850. Fine old panelling of suitable period and size, salvaged from ruined buildings in Tidewater Virginia, was found and placed in the building. Archaeological excavation rep vealed the foundations of the kitchen and a suitable one was reconstructed on the site. The fine stable and coach house mentioned in the historical records were likewise reconstructed.
Even the nails used in the building were hand wrought copies of old examples made by a local blacksmith. The paint color of the interior was similar to that found on contemporary woodwork, and advertised by the Williamsburg shopkeepers in the Virginia Gazette. The modern interior stair-case was stripped away, and against the newel post was found the clear outline of the original balusters, which were turned out by hand according to this old profile.
The completed building has many other features that are a triumph of modern craftsmen, who have re-learned the fine methods of the master builders of another century. It is now used to house Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.'s, collection of folk painting and sculpture which was produced by craftsmen and artisans.
Harold R. Shurtleff, Director
Department of Research and Education
Report by: Helen Bullock
10:21
January 11, 1933.
BRICK HOUSE: Built 1717 by Philip Ludwell of Green Spring. In 1755 it had out-houses, garden, well, fine large stable and coach house. Valued at £750 in 1769. Inventory available for 1773. May have had cellar shop just after Revolution. In the 1860's the stepe went down straight to the street. Early photographs on file.
January 11, 1933.
Philip Ludwell II of Green Spring received the first title to this land on September 23, 1700, from the Trustees for building the City of Williamsburg. He received title at the same time to the two lots west of it, #43 and #44.
In 1715, the city of Williamsburg passed an act directing the building of the Capitol and city of Williamsburg. This act provided that those receiving title to the lots in the city would have to build a house of certain standards within 24 months or the lots would escheat. Lots #43 and 44 were deeded to someone else in 1717, and the assumption is that a house had been crected, or at least partly constrouted by that year on lot #45 which Ludwell retained.
Ludwell and his family probably used the bric house during the carly part of the eighteenth century as a town house, but in later years resided in a wooden house on Nioholson street just east of the Peyton Randolph house. On October 17, 1755, Ludwell advertized both these houses for leasing:
"... Also one other very good Dwelling-House, well accomodated with Out-Houses, Gardan, Well, Fine large Stable and Coach-House, &c., situate on the Main street, the Lower Side of the Market Place ..."Ludwell died in 1769 and his property was bequeathed to his several children. In the initial division of his estate the "Bric House", which was valued at the very high figure
3 "... The next house the Paradise House, called the Slater house in more recent years. These premises present now a far more attractive appearance than ever. The old house as remembered by the writer, had no front porch as it had a few years ago, and the steps came down from the front door straight to the sidewalk instead of on the side as now. The writer remembers that when the old mansion was repaired some years ago, the owner, Mr. Slater, showed him a piece of plastering from the upataire wall on which a part of a newspaper had been pasted, that contained accounts of things occurring during the Revolutionary Var..."Mrs. Victoria Lee who also lived in Williamsturg just after the war says of this building:
"...The Paradise House, except for the entrance, looks as it did during the war. Stone stepa, with proportionate cheek blocks as those of the Baptist Church, led straight up from the street."There are old photographs of this house on file in the Research Department.
Report by: Helen Bullock.
cc: P.S.&H. Boston & Wmbg.
Dr. Goodwin
A.A. Shurcliff.
Harold R. Shurtleff, Director
Department of Research & Record.
June 1, 1931
When William Rind came to Williamsburg to print a new Virginia Gazette he leased the town house of the Ludwell family which was allotted to Lucy Ludwell Paradise as her share of the estate of her father Philip Ludwell (III), according to his announcement in the Virginia Gazette of May 19, 1766.
In 1770 Rind was still living in this house according to a letter from Richard Henry Lee from Chantilly, Virginia to William Lee in London, dated July 7:
"The houses in Williamsburg were divided by lot (having been first valued by an experienced workman) and the large brick house that Rind lives in; the mansion as it is called, where my Uncle's family liv'd in town; with the Blue Bell..."Rind died in 1773, while he was living in this house and on September 27 the following inventory [#1531] of his estate was made:
List of printing materials (on file in Department of Research and Record but not copied).
| Personal Estate: | ||
| 7 | beds, 3 bolsters and 4 pillows | 16: 0:0 |
| 1 | small mattrass | 0:10:0 |
| 7 | bedsteads, cords etc. | 2:15:0 |
| 13 | blankets | 3: 5:0 |
| 4 | ruggs | 1:10:0 |
| 4 | counterpanes | 3: 0:0 |
| 7 | pr. sheets | 4: 0:0 |
| 2 | pr. Ozenbrigs ditto | 0:10:0 |
| 6 | pillow cases | 0: 6:0 |
| 9 | towells | 0: 4:6 |
| 5 | napkins | 0: 3:0 |
| 9 | tablecloths | 2:10:0 |
| 12 | mahogany chairs and 2 elbow chairs | 10: 0:0 |
| 2 | mahogany card tables | 2:10:0 |
| 2 | mahogany square tables | 1:10:0 |
| 1 | mahogany larger | 2: 0:0 |
| 1 | mahogany tea table | 0:15:0 |
| 2 | ||
| 1 | square walnut table | 0:10:0 |
| 1 | walnut dressing table | 0:15:0 |
| 2 | large, 1 small pine tables | 0:15:0 |
| 12 | mahogany chairs (4 of them broke) | 4: 0:0 |
| 2 | walnut chairs | 2: 0:0 |
| 4 | old ditto | 0: 2:6 |
| 1 | mahogany desk | 3: 0:0 |
| 1 | ditto | 3: 0:0 |
| 1 | looking glass | 0:15:0 |
| 1 | ditto | 1: 5:0 |
| 1 | ditto and sconces | 1:15:0 |
| 1 | rim castors | 0: 6:3 |
| 4 | prints and cellaps | 0:15:0 |
| 4 | silver tea spoons and tongs, 4 table spoons, 1 soop do. (17 oz. 13 dw. a 7/) | 6: 3:6 |
| 2 | china dishes | 6: 0:0 |
| A | parcel of Queens china and stoneware | 0:10:0 |
| 2 | china bowls | 0:10:0 |
| 1 | decanter, 6 glasses, 2 salts and 2 tumblers | 0: 7:6 |
| Tea board and tea china | 0:10:0 | |
| 1 | case bottles | 0: 7:6 |
| A | parcel tin ware | 0:10:0 |
| A | parcel old pewter | 0: 7:6 |
| 12 | pewter plates and 4 dishes | 1: 0:0 |
| 1 | tin and 1 copper coffee pott | 0:10:0 |
| Old copper and brass | 0:10:0 | |
| 1 | fish kettle | 0:10:0 |
| 1 | iron tea kettle | 0: 5:0 |
| 1 | small carpet | 0:10:0 |
| 1 | larger ditto | 1: 0:0 |
| 17 | yds. Ozenbrigs | 0:15:0 |
| 1 | brush and dry rubber | 0: 5:0 |
| 1 | pair of andirons | 0:10:0 |
| 1 | pair of andirons | 0:15:0 |
| 1 | pair tongs and fender | 0: 5:0 |
| 1 | warming pan | 0: 6:0 |
| 1 | water jugg | 0: 2:6 |
| 2 | large stone bottles | 0: 4:0 |
| 3 | pickle jars and 4 pans | 0: 5:0 |
| 2 | iron pots and hooks | 0:12:6 |
| 1 | frying pan | 0: 3:9 |
| 1 | brass kettle | 2:10:0 |
| 2 | flat irons | 0: 5:0 |
| 2 | spits | 0: 5:0 |
| 1 | dripping pan | 0: 1:3 |
| 1 | Jack | 2: 0:0 |
| 2 | flesh forks | 0: 2:6 |
| 1 | large jarr | 0:10:0 |
| parcel tubs and pails etc. | 0: 6:0 | |
| 3a | ||
| 1 | sett bed curtains and rods | 2:10:0 |
| 14 | bushels coal | 0:10:6 |
| 6 | knives and forks | 0: 7:6 |
| Several old casks | 0:10:0 | |
| 1 | Bible and Prayer Book | 0:15:0 |
| A parcel books | 0:10:0 | |
| 1 | smoaking chair (broke) | 0:15:0 |
| 14 | bushels coal | 0:10:6 |
| 44½ | lbs. bacon | 1: 2:3 |
| 2 | cows, and 1 negro | |
Harold R. Shurtleff, Director
Department of Research & Record
ab
Report by: Helen Bullock
cc: Mrs. Susan H. Nask
P.S. & H., Williamsburg
Dr. W. A. R. Goodwin
cc: Dr Tyler