se ver ance ▁I ▁obtained ▁it ." ▁ ▁Fri ends ▁of ▁Pe ale ' s ▁thought ▁that ▁this ▁name ▁was ▁far ▁too ▁solemn , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁result , ▁by ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁he ▁had ▁changed ▁it ▁to ▁' B elle field ', ▁which ▁later , ▁became ▁' B elf ield .' ▁ ▁Pe ale ▁began ▁renov ations ▁on ▁the ▁m ansion ▁house ▁after ▁purch asing ▁the ▁property , ▁separ ating ▁partitions ▁in ▁between ▁rooms , ▁and ▁adding ▁a ▁" p ain ting ▁room ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁house . ▁ ▁When ▁this ▁room ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁a ▁storm ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 8 1 7 , ▁a ▁larger , ▁two - story ▁addition ▁was ▁added . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 2 1 , ▁Pe ale ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Hann ah ▁contract ed ▁yellow ▁fe ver , ▁which ▁led ▁to ▁Hann ah ' s ▁death . ▁ ▁A ▁weak ened ▁Pe ale ▁moved ▁in ▁with ▁his ▁son ▁Rub ens , ▁and ▁put ▁B elf ield ▁up ▁for ▁sale . ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 8 2 6 , ▁William ▁Log an ▁Fish er , ▁whose ▁estate ▁of ▁W ake field ▁border ed ▁B elf ield ▁to ▁the ▁sout heast , ▁purchased ▁the ▁property ▁for ▁$ 1 1 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Gard ens ▁and ▁Gr ounds ▁▁ ▁Pe ale ▁cultiv ated , ▁and ▁frequently ▁used ▁as ▁insp iration , ▁extensive ▁gard ens ▁on ▁the ▁estate ▁grounds . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁structures ▁Pe ale