Document text
muroh 2, 1989.
Bluo/rferd
Director
"Keystone' .41101s001341
Sobaol for Orphan
boys,
Bea.11 Ai.,
6o. Jacksonville,
Pleridu.
nose chepherd,writer.
KSTESTOSS &STAT3.
"Keystone" in its deoudenoe still shows signs of its former
grundeur, wheu it *us Glassed us one of the most magnifioent estates
in the South side of the St. Johns River.
Willed by its former owner, Mrs. Wary 1)444)1E44rd Cummings, unson-
ditionally to St. Johns Apiscopal Church of Jaoksonville, it is used
all a home for orphan boys of the parish, presided over by the Rev.
and Mrs. a. M. Blaokfords It now houses eleven boys who wulk to the
highwuy eaoh morning to meet the bus whioh curries them to the South
Jaoksonville publio.s4hoole.
The estate is upproached by drive of c quarter of u mils
from Atluntio Beuch Righway, six miles out from the business section
of oouth Jucksonville.
A oiroular driveway leads to the front entrunos of the resi-
dence, iu front of *Joh is.a well preserved hitohing post of bygone
duys u. three foot mitre boy of iron, with freshly painted trousers
of blue, the blouse of yellow, and oup of red, with u steel stirrup
iu his hund, thro,gh whi3h the bridle of many 44 pony Is been passed,
pending the visit of its young rider.
The Whits foams residence with its high gabled roof, bespeaking
its northern type of urohitecture, its tuloonies fringed with "wooden
luoe" dute it back to the lute 1670's.
The ouretuker's aottuge created in 1689 stands where the old
late made entrawe from the road. It is empty now, the windows out,
26042
Keystone
the roof falling in, the lonç hallo which eohoed to the lmughter
of the omratnker's four lively children ere lunes of loneliness,
with loam.* blown in heaps in the corners and long cobsobe hanging
from the ceilings.
Back of this building is the laundry, en. or two of the
rooms still show signs of use.
To the left of the puth on the wuy to the swimming pool is
the old oistern with its long brick covered top, °rucked mnd mess
oovered. Beside it a modern improvement, mn up-to-tnte inoinerator
for disposml of trmsh and garbmge.
Another long building further on is the old reorention
building, n closed -in curd -room with the old riokety tubles showing
their use, and to the ramr u long bowling ulley. This lmtter the
boys still enjoy, though the roof leaks in plumps.
A hulAdred feet further on is the "big tree." While the vicin-
ity of Juuksonville is noted for its lurge live auks, this is amid
to be the "big tree of this section. The long limbs mre in plaoes
supported by iron posts to hold them up from their awn weight, mud
extend forty feet and. more in 411 directions.
AU mmusing story is told about m hen belonging to the Cummings,
shioh had stolen its nest away from 411 prying eyes, until one dny
Mr- CuAeings saw her slyly betake herself to one of the long limbs
touching the ground, on which she hopped, and tip -tipped one foot
ever the other, until she hmd remohed the crotch of the limb mnd the
body of the tree twelve feet from the ground. Mr. Cummings brought
steplmdder Irom tho house, and mounting it wme surprised to dis-
cover a ;,estful of eggs, on which the hen wits sitting. Ye secured
Xeyotone 4.
removing the auoumulated mud und debris, prepuratorw to turning on
the water for its first filling this seavon. The youngsters are
stripped ;to the waist und are evidently enjoying their work, in
hapoy anticipation of a swim afterwards.
The dreseing rooms adjoining the swimming pool are oovered
with the wild yellow jasmine ,Anes, roof high, aud now in full
bloom.
The path no leads to the right and through the trles we sight
the termis uourt, and are told that in the old this there v s u dame
p.,vilion here also.
45 are now on the rsturn trip to the house and pass through
the flower gardens, where Re. Mr. Blsakford's by, of flowers is
manifested in blooming rose -bushes one a Black Beauty with
sweet peas of variegated uolors, oulendulas and other spring blos- A
Under the brow of the hill up from the ravine formed by the
overflow from the artesian well is the old brioked in i3e-houee and
potato bin, value of yesteryears' peaessities.
V,ei urn UOW on the ()rest of he hill, with the majhsty of the
t. Johns in full view, a sail -rigged lumber ship and blaok bowed
freighter pase eaoh other almost opposite the Li rut ooming in to
the port of Juuksowille, the other bound outward with (largo* for
Charleston, Baltimore and Jew York.
The old high pump -house with its cupola for views up and down
the -Ivor is in a states of (1,044 and unsafe for vitators, while the
doak whore the Cummings/private yaoht wae wont to land has long aims
washed into the river.
Below .us, however, is a most pleasing sight. and and silt
pumped up in the U. L. government's dredging ,operations to deeren
Keystone
the-ohannil of the St. Johns hus amoumUlated until it has extended
the shore line about a hundred feet. This has been bUlkheuded,
filled it, uhd fertilized, forming a larice mennInkkn'garden green
now with growing oabbages, Garrote, lettuce, and other seasonable
vegetuble...
4.t, the baok, proteotsd by the high bunk, are there's ctoalla
plants. Rev. Bluokford has a, opeoial love for calla lilies, und
his d(velopment of the oulture of these bountiful iuster lilies
has brought him both fume und fortune, for they ure in grout de7-
round
April 3, 19219.
voystone apisoopal
HOMO for soya
Jacksonville slot ida
Additional
Hos, 3hephord,sriter.
KSIoTulls SkInUuk.l. mums Am bons
(fixoerot from mt. Johns, 1934, uentennial iooklet).
Mrs. Mary Packer Uummings, daughter of Asa Packer, of
Pennsylvania, was a constant friend and tanefaotor of ot.Johns
rarish.
she died in uotober, 1913, and byher will she left to the
parish to bo used as a church home her estate on the south side of
the bt. Johns mixer, oonsisting of about thirty acres of land,
with a splondid residence, outhouses, swimming pool, orange grove
and ilirdens.
she bequeathed a Rsnerous sum of money as an endowment for
the home; and in addition to the i)roperty and money loft to metal*
lish and endow the home, a trust fund was established and the in-
come thereof, after the lIrminstion of a life estate which still
exists, was bequeathed to the voltrish to be used for either parodh-
ia1 or diocesan purposes.
in 1921 the home was opened under the supervision of the
Key. Ambler m. alaokford, and since that time a wonderful work has
been accomplished in oaring for and training young boys.