The scite of the town being on a gravelly soil, the streets are generally clean. The houses are of freestone, brick, or timber clapboarded, the first of which is got in the neighbourhood, is of a whitish brown colour, and excellent for building. They are mostly very good and are well painted.
On the whole I think Chilicothe is not exceeded in beauty of plan, situation, or appearance, by any town I have seen in the western part of the United States.
There is a remarkable Indian monument in Mr. Watchup’s garden in the very heart of the town.—Like that at Grave creek, it is circular at the base, about seventy or eighty feet diameter, but differs from that, by being round, instead of flat on the top, which has an elevation of about thirty feet perpendicular from the level of the plain. It is formed of clay, and though it has been perforated by the proprietor, nothing has been found to justify the common opinion of these mounts having been barrows or cemeteries. They talk of having it levelled, as it projects a little into Market street, but I think it a pity to destroy any of the very few vestiges of aboriginal population, which this country presents to the curious and inquisitive traveller.
From a steep hill, about three hundred feet perpendicular height, just outside the western extremity of the town, is a most charming view of the streets immediately below, under the eye like a plan on paper: Then the Scioto, from one hundred to one hundred {196} and fifty yards wide, winding on the left, and some low hills about two miles beyond it terminating the view, to the N. E. while to the eastward and westward, as far as the eye can reach both ways, is spread a country, partly flat, and partly rising in gentle swells, which if cultivation proceeds in equal proportion, to what it has done since Chilicothe was first laid out about ten years ago, must, in a very short time present one of the finest landscapes imaginable.
Colonel M’Arthur coming to town was polite enough to invite me to take a bed at his house, which I had passed about two miles back in the morning. I found the situation surpassed what I had thought of it then, when I only saw it from the road, it commanding a beautiful and extensive prospect including the town of Chilicothe, which, however is now seen rather indistinctly on account of the foliage of some trees on the brow of a small projecting hill, which will probably soon be cut down.
Next morning, Friday, 14th August, I walked before breakfast half a mile through the woods to the northward, to an elegant seat belonging to Col. Worthington.[142] It will be finished in a few weeks and will be one of the best and most tasty houses not only of this state, but to the westward of the Allegheny mountains. It is about sixty feet square, with a square roof, and two large receding wings. It has two lofty stories, with six rooms on each floor, and cellars and vaults beneath. The wings contain kitchen, scullery, apartments for servants, &c.
Like colonel M’Arthur’s it is built with freestone, but the stone of the front is all hewn and squared, like the generality of the houses in the new part of Glasgow in Scotland, the stone being very similar both in colour and quality. The situation is like Col. M’Arthur’s, being on the brow of the same ridge of hills, and affording nearly the same prospects. Both houses were built by two young Virginians of the {197} name of Morris, who are almost self taught masons and architects, and whose work and style does them much credit.
I returned to town on Friday after breakfast, and dined, supped and slept at Muker’s, which is a very good and well frequented inn, and at five o’clock on Saturday the 15th August, I left Chilicothe in the stage with a Mr. M’Cammon of Charleston and two other passengers.
FOOTNOTES:
[140] By a law of the last session of the legislature, the seat of the state government was removed to Zanesville, on the Muskingum river.—Cramer.