Plate LXXVI.—Living Room, Kittredge House; Parlor, Kittredge House.
Plate LXXVII.—Soapstone Fire Frame, Kittredge House Fireplace, Kittredge House.
At the right is the living-room, where the woodwork shows wide panels, the fireplace having an old-time, soapstone fire-frame. Every piece of furniture is of the colonial type, the sofas being of the Empire period, and the chairs of Sheraton, showing rush bottom and often known as fancy chairs. A wonderful old cabinet is filled with relics such as are rarely found, even in a colonial home.
The parlor is on the opposite side of the hallway; the woodwork around the fireplace in this room is hand-carved, with baskets of flowers for the center ornamentation, and festoon effects on either side. It has a facing of tiles, on which are depicted Biblical scenes. The woodwork shows well planned panelling, with a deep cornice above the quaint wall hangings. The recessed windows are fitted with built-in seats and the old-time shutters which were originally used as safeguard against the Indians.
Every piece of furniture is a genuine antique, the Hepplewhite with the favorite shield or heart-shaped back and straight legs, and the cozy arm-chair of Sheraton design known in this country as "Martha Washington," owing to the fact that one of this design was included in the furnishings at Mt. Vernon, all being choice examples. Equally as interesting as these fine bits is a quaint, old bronze lamp, 1820, with lusters and glass shades. The Roundabout Chippendale chair, and the center table, with its thin top, plain tripod, and ball feet, are typical of those designed about the first of the nineteenth century.
In the dining-room, which opens from the rear of the hallway, the same dignified simplicity is a dominant feature. The furnishing of mahogany, the china cupboards, and the rare pieces of Chippendale and Sheraton are worthy of their attractive setting. The fireplace, with its exquisite carving, brings into relief the fine lines of the mantel above. Rare old pewter, silver, and exquisite bits of Sheffield plate are found in the deep closets in this room.
The second story is in keeping with the good taste displayed on the lower floor. The furnishings here are antique also, including some of the best examples of four-posters to be found in New England. The fireplaces vary from the Franklin stove, to the large, open fireplaces of our grand-dames' time, with broad spaces of panelled woodwork; the white finish, mellowed to ivory tones, affords a suitable background for the wonderful old pictures.