| I. | [The Old Pickering House, Salem, Mass.] |
| II. | [Doorway, Oliver House, Salem, Mass.] |
| III. | [Hallway, Oliver House; Living Room, Oliver House] |
| IV. | [Hallway, Cabot Low House; Fireplace, Oliver House] |
| V. | [The House of the Seven Gables, Salem, Mass.] |
| VI. | [Hallway, House of the Seven Gables; Hepzibah's Shop, House of the Seven Gables] |
| VII. | [Dining Room, House of the Seven Gables; Parlor, House of the Seven Gables] |
| VIII. | [Attic, House of the Seven Gables.] |
| IX. | [The Pickering House, Salem, Mass.] |
| X. | [The Pickering House, Side View] |
| XI. | [Entrance Doors, Pickering House] |
| XII. | [Hallway, Pickering House] |
| XIII. | [Dining Room, Pickering House; Alcove, Pickering House] |
| XIV. | [Living Room, Pickering House; Drawing Room, Pickering House] |
| XV. | [Fireplace with Scriptural Tiles, Pickering House; the Old Pickering Sideboard] |
| XVI. | ["The Lindens," Danvers, Mass.] |
| XVII. | [Hallway, "The Lindens"] |
| XVIII. | [Dining Room, "The Lindens"; Chamber, "The Lindens"] |
| XIX. | [Drawing Room, "The Lindens"; Library, "The Lindens"] |
| XX. | [Chambers in "The Lindens"] |
| XXI. | [The Rogers House, Peabody, Mass.] |
| XXII. | [Doorway, Rogers House] |
| XXIII. | [Parlor, Rogers House; Drawing Room, Rogers House] |
| XXIV. | [The Lee Mansion, Marblehead, Mass.] |
| XXV. | [Porch, Lee Mansion] |
| XXVI. | [Two Views of the Hallway, Lee Mansion] |
| XXVII. | [Wallpapers, Lee Mansion] |
| XXVIII. | [Wood Carving, Lee Mansion] |
| XXIX. | [Banquet Hall, Lee Mansion; Fireplace, Lee Mansion] |
| XXX. | [Chamber, Lee Mansion; Four-poster, Lee Mansion] |
| XXXI. | [The Ladd-Gilman House, Exeter, N. H.] |
| XXXII. | [Parlor, Ladd-Gilman House] |
| XXXIII. | [Living Room, Ladd-Gilman House; Robert Treat Room, Ladd-Gilman House] |
| XXXIV. | [Middle Chamber, Ladd-Gilman House; Prison, Ladd-Gilman House] |
| XXXV. | [The Adams House, Newbury, Mass.] |
| XXXVI. | [Parlor, Adams House; Living Room, Adams House] |
| XXXVII. | [Dining Room, Adams House] |
| XXXVIII. | [The Spencer-Pierce House, Newburyport, Mass.] |
| XXXIX. | [Hallway, Spencer-Pierce House] |
| XL. | [Dining Room, Spencer-Pierce House; Living Room, Spencer-Pierce House] |
| XLI. | [Parlor, Spencer-Pierce House] |
| XLII. | [The Dummer Mansion, Byfield, Mass.] |
| XLIII. | [Doorway, Dummer Mansion; Hallway, Dummer Mansion] |
| XLIV. | [Dining Room, Dummer Mansion; Den, Dummer Mansion] |
| XLV. | [Two Views of the Living Room, Dummer Mansion] |
| XLVI. | [The Warner House, Portsmouth, N. H.] |
| XLVII. | [Doorway, Warner House; Porch, Warner House] |
| XLVIII. | [Living Room, Warner House] |
| XLIX. | [Parlor, Warner House] |
| L. | [The Wentworth House, Little Harbor, N. H.] |
| LI. | [Hallway, Wentworth House] |
| LII. | [Dance Hall, Wentworth House] |
| LIII. | [Room in Wentworth House where Martha Hilton was made Bride] |
| LIV. | [The Franklin Pierce House, Hillsboro, N. H.] |
| LV. | [Library, Franklin Pierce House] |
| LVI. | [Sword given by the State of New Hampshire to President Pierce; Bowie Knife used at Barbecue given at Hillsboro for President Pierce, and Canes presented to him by Notable Personages; Sword presented by Ladies of Concord, N. H., to President Pierce] |
| LVII. | [The Savory House, Groveland, Mass.] |
| LVIII. | [Porch and Gateway, Savory House] |
| LIX. | [Hallway, Savory House; Chamber, Savory House] |
| LX. | [China Closet, Savory House; China Closet, Savory House, where China of Three Generations of Brides is Kept] |
| LXI. | [Parlor, Savory House; Living Room, Savory House] |
| LXII. | [The Stark Mansion, Dunbarton, N. H.] |
| LXIII. | [Old Mill, Stark Homestead] |
| LXIV. | [Hallway, Stark Mansion; Parlor, Stark Mansion] |
| LXV. | [Dining Room, Stark Mansion] |
| LXVI. | [Saltonstall House, Haverhill, Mass.] |
| LXVII. | [Two Views of the Hallway, Saltonstall House] |
| LXVIII. | [Two Views of the Dining Room, Saltonstall House] |
| LXIX. | [Chambers in the Saltonstall House] |
| LXX. | [The Dalton House, Newburyport, Mass.] |
| LXXI. | [Porch, Dalton House] |
| LXXII. | [Lower Hall, Dalton House; Upper Hall, Dalton House] |
| LXXIII. | [Fireplaces, Dalton House] |
| LXXIV. | [The Kittredge House, Andover, Mass.] |
| LXXV. | [Hallway, Kittredge House] |
| LXXVI. | [Living Room, Kittredge House; Parlor, Kittredge House] |
| LXXVII. | [Soapstone Fire Frame, Kittredge House; Fireplace, Kittredge House] |
| LXXVIII. | [The Royall House, Medford, Mass.] |
| LXXIX. | [Doorway, Royall House] |
| LXXX. | [Hallway, Royall House, from the Rear] |
| LXXXI. | [Spinning Room, Royall House] |
| LXXXII. | [Kitchen Fireplace, Royall House] |
| LXXXIII. | [Chambers in the Royall House] |
| LXXXIV. | [The Longfellow House, Cambridge, Mass.] |
| LXXXV. | [Library, Longfellow House] |
| LXXXVI. | [The Quincy Mansion, Quincy, Mass.] |
| LXXXVII. | [Porch, Quincy Mansion] |
| LXXXVIII. | [Dining Room, Quincy Mansion] |
| LXXXIX. | [Kitchen, Quincy Mansion; Parlor, Quincy Mansion] |
| XC. | [Paper hung for Wedding of Dorothy Quincy, Quincy Mansion] |
| XCI. | [Chambers in the Quincy Mansion] |
| XCII. | [Porch of the Middleton House, Bristol, R. I.] |
| XCIII. | [Hallway, Middleton House; Fireplace, Middleton House] |
| XCIV. | [Living Room, Middleton House] |
| XCV. | [Bridal Chamber, Middleton House] |
CHAPTER I
HOMES OF LONG AGO
Scattered here and there throughout the South, the Middle West, and the New England States, we find the homes of long ago standing as mute witnesses and representatives of periods in our country's settlements that have become historical. We come across them by the wayside, when driving along country roads, or we catch glimpses of them at the end of grassy lanes, surrounded by pleasant meadows, while others, jutting in between twentieth century houses in our large cities, serve to link the old days with the new. These old mansions are often tenantless; some, with sagging roofs and gaping sides, are fast falling into decay. Still others, well preserved and freshly painted, surrounded by the well kept lawns and posy beds of our grandmothers' time, are survivals of a glorious past.
Old houses are like old romances; both are filled with mystery. Could they but speak, what fascinating tales they would reveal. They carry us back in imagination to one of the most eventful periods of our country's life—that of its struggle for freedom—and they inspire us with a desire to weave them into stories that will give authentic glimpses of the days when our country was young. Surrounding these ancient landmarks we find an irresistible and intangible charm that never fails to appeal, not only to the house-lover but the antiquarian as well. For, no matter how shabby the exterior may be, inside its four walls has been enacted a series of comedies and tragedies, which, if known, might overshadow the romances of the great masters of literature.
In spite of the mystery surrounding these old homesteads, there is, nevertheless, something definite about them which has for the student of the past a deep meaning and a distinct appeal.
Harking back, we find that each particular type of house represents a stage in the development of architecture. They cover a period when architects were practically unknown. Many were evolved from the master builder's brain, while others have been developed little by little from early designs. Monuments of departed days, they stand models to which our present-day architects turn for inspiration.
Few, if any, of the first houses are still standing. They were constructed of logs and had thatched roofs. The timber was, at first, hand sawed in saw pits dug for that purpose, a tedious process. Later on, sawmills were erected, but not in sufficient number to meet the demand for frame houses.