So soon he found himself living outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, on Grace’s dream estate. Summit Farms had been built in 1908 by the Du Pont family at the same time they had purchased and renovated James Madison’s birthplace of Montpelier. Summit was even grander than Montpelier, having been built in the traditional southern style with large columns supporting the entrance to the three-story, twelve-thousand-square-foot mansion. At the time it was built it was among the most beautiful homes in the United States and certainly the most fortified. The walls were three-feet thick and built to last. There was a three thousand foot, two-story library that Max converted to his office. Grace had her own wing, as well, and there were five guest bedrooms and a converted servants quarter on the third floor. The basement boasted a billiard room, wine cellar, washing area, and an ancient kitchen harking back to the original custom of using a dumbwaiter and pulley system to deliver the food to the upstairs dining rooms.
