THE SAVORY HOUSE
We turn to old houses as we turn to old books—for information—for inside old mansions is generally a wealth of furniture and china, the history of which has a never-dying charm to the collector and the lover of the antique. These houses are rapidly passing away, and it is only now and then that we come across one where furniture may be found that covers the periods between the Chippendale and the Empire.
One of these old houses, in which there is an especially rich collection of antiques, is found at Groveland, Massachusetts, and is known as the Savory house. Let us step over its threshold, and wander through its rooms, studying the furniture and the periods which they represent.
Here we find many of the works of the great masters: the simple, dignified charm of Chippendale gives way to the more elaborate and delicate pieces of Hepplewhite and Sheraton, leading us on to the Adams period, and ending with the Empire. Examples of all these are seldom found under the same roof, and to the student of the antique, such a collection is far more instructive than pictured examples in books.
Much of this old furniture was brought from over the seas about 1800, at a time when colonial homes were in vogue. Others came with the earliest settlers. These pieces, however, are rare, for the ships of that day had but limited capacity, fitted to bring only the bare necessities to furnish a home. Many of them were rare and unusual bits, and connected with them are stories of the past, which carry us back to the early struggles for existence in an untried land.
Plate LVII.—The Savory House, Groveland, Mass.
The Peter Parker, or Savory house was built early in the eighteenth century. It is situated just back from the street, surrounded by well-laid-out grounds and has preserved intact all its original characteristics.
The keynote in its construction is a dignified solidity. It represents an example of careful thought that gives to it an air of quiet elegance which is rarely seen, even in houses of this same type. It is to be numbered among the really few genuine old dwellings which date back to pre-Revolutionary days,—a veritable old home, combining in construction unusual architectural features.
The house differs much from the square houses of colonial time. It has a wing-like projection at one side and was designed with two front doors. This is a departure from the old-time custom of a central porch and is not without significance, for each door has its own special use.
Plate LVIII.—Porch and Gateway, Savory House.
The main porch is in the central part of the house. It is a very handsome entrance, well proportioned, showing a fan light over the entrance door. It has for ornamentation a knocker of the ring type. The second door in the ell was the family entrance. This opened upon a hall which led to the living-room. On the opposite side of the house is a small ell, showing domed windows and a handsomely carved entrance. At the rear is the orchard, where can still be seen some of the fruit trees that were planted when the house was built. The old-fashioned garden, with its box-borders and its wealth of old-time flowers so popular in colonial days, lies at the right of the orchard.
This estate was purchased by one Moses Parker, the great-grandfather of the present owner, in 1777, for the consideration of one thousand pounds sterling. The house has sheltered since then five generations of that name. During its early life, it was the haunt of most of the prominent men of that time, for the owner was a chosen leader in all town affairs and was also considered one of the most prominent men of his day. There was a secret chamber in this house, shut off from the main part of the building. It is spoken of in the old records and letters that are still treasured in the family. This was reached from the outside only, through a secret door, all traces of which have long since disappeared. In this room were held the most important of the many Masonic meetings of that day. The little group of men who formed this secret society, at the time of Groveland's settlement, chose this meeting-place on account of the privacy of the chamber and the thickness of the walls enclosing it. There were curious neighbors even in those days, and secret meetings were a necessity. Where could they better be held than in this secluded room, beyond the bounds of unwelcome intruders?
Plate LIX.—Hallway, Savory House; Chamber, Savory House.
The main hallway is reached from the family entrance,—the company door opening into the large room used in the olden times only on special occasions, such as a marriage, death, or ministerial calls. This hallway is unusual: it is panelled and painted white, showing at one side a quaintly designed staircase. The narrow stairs wind to the second-story floor by two turns, instead of one. At the foot of the stairs are two fine examples of the Chippendale type. These are chairs which formed a part of the wedding furniture of the great-great-grandmother Parker and were brought over from England by the emigrant ancestor. They are a rare type of Chippendale, showing the splat, diamond pierced, and handsome carving. They were made about the middle of the eighteenth century, before Chippendale began to lose favor or had any rivals in the field.
On the first landing is a little light-stand, now so rarely seen, which was designed about 1765, and still holds the guest candles which were used in colonial days to light the family to bed.
Plate LX.—China Closet, Savory House; China Closet, Savory House, where China of Three Generations of Brides is kept.
Plate LXI.—Parlor, Savory House; Living Room, Savory House.
The old-time parlor opens out of the hallway. It is now in common use, being converted into the family sitting-room. On one side of the room is rare and choice woodwork with panel effect, broken in the center by a deep and wide fireplace, a dominating feature of this homelike room. The cheery glow of the great oak logs, as they burn on the seventeenth-century, steeple-topped andirons, fills the imagination with pictures of the people who lived here many years ago. The furniture could no doubt unfold many an interesting story: the Dutch table in the center of the room, for instance, was a part of great-grandmother Parker's wedding furniture; and the Hepplewhite card-table, designed in 1785, was a part of the first bride's furnishings.
There are Chippendale chairs, with carved rosettes, in low relief, vis-a-vis with a child's slat-back chair. The carpet, which has always been in this room, is one of the first ever laid in a Groveland home.
The well-lighted living-room shows many quaint windows with small paned glass and broad sills. These, during the winter time, are used as conservatories. Large, built-in cupboards, with glass doors, are filled with the rarest sets of old-time china. A full set of old Lowestoft, with the monogram of the bride, was imported from China, arriving just before the wedding. There is Staffordshire ware of the choicest kind, and a wealth of English glass. Not a piece has been broken since it was brought to the house, a century and a half ago.
In this same room are many of the rarest bits of china to be found in all New England, while in the bookcases which line two sides of the room are many old books, some of which show the Parker bookplate.
Between the living-room and the dining-room is the den, where, on the shelves of a built-in cupboard, are wonderful pieces of old pewter. These date back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a period when this metal was in vogue for household use. Many of the pieces bear the excise stamp, a cross and a crown, showing that they are of early make. The rarest pieces, however, show three distinct stamps. Fortunately, even though pewter went out of fashion, and was consequently melted, the family was one of the few who appreciated its worth, so that not even one piece has ever been destroyed.
Rarely are found even in New England houses such a wealth of closets as are seen here. They have been carefully built to conform with the general breadth of construction and low stud that emphasize the interior finish of this house. In each one is a collection such as would make a connoisseur envious, for in handing down through the generations, there has been no division, a fact which gives the collections additional historic value.
The most interesting room is the dining-room. Here the furnishing has never been changed. The sideboard is of the Empire period, and on it is shown wonderful old family silver, including some communion pieces of rare make. The chairs are of the Windsor type, painted white, with the exception of one, an old pulpit chair. This was originally used by an ancestor of the family, who was a pastor of the Groveland church. At the time of remodelling, it was removed and brought to the Parker home.
A very rare set of Canton ware is on the closet shelves. It differs from the usual Canton, and is said to be the only set of its kind to be found in America. The blue is much deeper and richer, and the pattern is unusual. This set was brought over as a wedding gift in one of the old Newburyport ships, during the height of commercial prosperity.
There is a peculiar charm and mystery to a house like this, which endears itself even to a stranger who steps over its threshold for the first time. It is a revelation of colonial furnishing which is most interesting. The sturdy old house is both simple and dignified. It typifies in the best manner the construction of the early days; the staunchness of its build is evinced in its frame and walls, which are as sound as when first laid. To-day none of the rooms are unused. The partition in the secret chamber has been torn down, so that it now connects with the other rooms.
An unusual feature of the house is its many windows, which give it abundant light and sunshine. Cheeriness lies in its open fireplaces, one of which is found in every room of the house. There is no elaboration in wood-carving, this being perfectly plain, though varying in shape and design.
The chambers are also furnished with ancestral furniture, and in a room facing the south is a fine example of an old sleigh-bed, finished in mahogany veneer. The chairs are of Sheraton make, while the little low table was designed about the middle of the seventeenth century. In every chamber in the house four-posters are still seen, some of which are Field beds, while others have testers. Each room is kept as near as possible as it was when first occupied by the Parker family.
In the attic under the eaves is a veritable treasure house. Innumerable hair trunks, studded with brass-headed nails, are filled with beautiful silken damask gowns, camel's-hair shawls, and rare laces, which were once worn by the brides. In one of them lies Lady Catherine, a most wonderful doll, dressed in the fashion of colonial days. Her gown of fine white mull is yellowed by age, and, as you take her out, she holds in her hand a letter which tells her name and age. It is over a century ago since she came into existence, but she has been so carefully preserved that she is in perfect condition.
The exact date of the erection of this house is not definitely known. It ante-dated the Revolutionary war, and at the time of its purchase by Mr. Parker, in 1777, it was considered by the residents of the town as an old mansion. In build, it resembles the seventeenth century houses, while in design it is unique and, save for its colonial porches and fences, might have belonged to an earlier period. It stands to-day a landmark of the old town, and the touch of time has not marred it with the air of age.