| You Are Here |
|
|
The first thing people notice when walking into the Parlor is the fireplace mantle. Olwen Kendrick could not remember what color it was when she lived here, but Terry Mendenhall said it was painted white when he lived here. Sometime after 1984, the white paint was stripped off and the natural light oak color was allowed to shine through. However, we felt that the color did not provide enough stature to the room, so Nicole painted it black with gold accent. On the mantle is David's Great-Grandparent's mantle clock. This clock was their wedding gift. On the left of the clock is a wedding portrait of the two, and to the right is a copy of their marriage certificate. They were married in 1908.
The fireplace is a working wood-burning unit. However, due to down draft problems on breezy days, we do not use it to burn fires. In the future we plan on putting in a gas unit that replicates an old coal burning fireplace.
The next thing that catches people's attention is the ceiling. No, this is not original to the house. It was added after the fact. Prior to our taking ownership, the ceiling had been wallpapered, and was showing some wear. Portions of the paper began peeling, so David (at Nicole's request) changed the ceiling.
Both the Kendrick and Mendenhall families used this room as their primary Family Room. Family photos shows the Mendenhalls placed their Christmas trees in the corner where the round wall is. David has always wanted a Parlor. This room was a natural choice to have a formal greeting room, and Nicole has decorated it as such.
The exterior of the front of the house has a rounded brick corner, and that feature extends into the Parlor. This "corner" is located behind the table and lamp (photograph to the left below). The glass is also rounded, but only the upper piece is original. Over the years, the bottom section of the window has been broken and replaced with a piece of poly.
After buying the house, but prior to moving into it, David bought this armoire for his Office (which is located on the second floor). Nicole questioned the size of it. David assured her it would not be a problem getting into the office, and bought it. The unit was stored in their current garage. On moving day, the movers tried every way they could think of to get the armoire up the stairs, but it would not fit. Short of completely tearing the unit apart, it was not going to make the turn in the stairs.
The moral of this story is two fold. First, measure before buying large pieces of furniture. Second, listen to your wife.
However, being the good wife she is, Nicole suggested the armoire be located in the Parlor. She said it could easily be converted into a liquor cabinet. Oh, what a good wife she IS. When given lemons, she can certainly make lemonade...hard lemonade that is.
Below are some images of what the Parlor looked like prior to the Historic Home Tour. The green window treatments were in the house when we bought it. The 15-pane door is made of oak and has been removed. They are currently in storage in the attic. Removing the window treatments allows the wood trim to highlight the wall. The current sheers allow the detailed iris designed stained glass to show though. Changing the color of the fireplace and ceiling completely changed the feel of the Parlor.
