Plate LXXXII.—Kitchen Fireplace, Royall House.
The kitchen contains many old relics. Among them is the Porter sign which was used in Medford Square in 1769, on the Royall Oak Tavern. The New Hampshire soldiers had such an intense feeling against the English sign that before the battle of Bunker Hill they fired against it in anger, the bullet marks being still plainly seen. In this kitchen, also, is kept the first fork in the colony, brought over by Governor Winthrop, also candle-dips made over one hundred and twenty-five years ago by the old process of taking wicks of twine and dipping them in fat in a cold room.
Plate LXXXIII.—Chambers in the Royall House.
The chambers are, many of them, most interesting. Several of them show quaint tiles. One of them, the northeast chamber, has a wonderful old fireplace with sixty ancient Bible tiles, many of them original. These depict different scenes in Bible stories, such as Cain slaying his brother with his left hand, the whale and Jonah, Mary and Joseph fleeing into Egypt.
The southeast chamber shows a great deal of the old Winthrop panelling. This was transferred when Royall reconstructed the building. Here, as in the northeast chamber, are wonderful old tiles, the Royall house boasting more of the best specimens of that early period than any other.
Everywhere through the house we find indications of the luxury introduced by the wealthy Royalists. All of the rooms are large, with high ceilings and wide windows showing inside shutters. The hand-carving is especially noticeable, being beautifully done and most original in design.
In the guest room, or marble chamber as it is generally known, cornices or moldings are exquisitely carved. There is one panelling over the fireplace that is three feet wide and five feet long, while the thickness of the walls is shown by the width of the window-seats. Each window is enclosed in an alcove, and some of them retain the original glass.