The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-24
OLD HOUSES.
HOW BUILDINGS OF THE 0LDEy TINES
WERE BUILT.
THE ROCKING CHAIR IN TIE
MODERN PIRLOR.
WHAT MODERN HoUsEKEEPEKsHA
ESCAPED.
Reeeiieetious 90 the Days of xore When
Richmond Was IN Her intnncy-lhe
Habits fOld Time Farmers
"after the Soap"

" hen last heard from we were walk
ing through the vegetable garden Of our
ancient mansion, So busted that we quite
forgot the treilis for grapes, the hotbed
and its cover of glass, and even the Eng
lish walnut tree. 4 this day few Of the
latter are 20 be found on lots which are
the remains of old gardens. It's fruit was
considered invaluable for making catsup
and pickle At that time there were no
shops with shelves filled with all man
ner OF mixtures 10 take the places Of the
delicious ana harmless domestic sauces
and condiments manufactured 10y the
housewives and cooks of the time. The
interior or the old brick houses differed
from those built Of wood in one i'm
uOrtant respect The walls OF the former
we're plasiered without The Intervention
of lathcs The consequence was that
they were colder aud damper. I he mOis-
Mfe during warm days IN winter was
often condensed upon their cold sur
faces, and ran trickiing down to the
doors. On this account the best of them
were generally painted Paper was little
used in them, because ii would not stand,
and indeed, was then a very expensive
article most OF it being brought from
abroad In both kinds Of house
wainscoting OF panoling in oek
or pine was much used. II
his kind of finish extended only
part the way mp The sides OF tho rooms.
OF halls the remainder was lstheG an0
plasiered Il may appear strange to the
moderns, but this was the most expen-
siye WAY OF finishing OF rooms Timber
ior paneiing was easy - procure, ana
any common workman could construct
il. But in the other case, IL required eA-
perts TO mix the plaster and put it on ST.
that il would last Work az that time
was done honestly il slowly In addi-
zion 10 the cost Of lime, every nail used
IN putting on the lathes was made et the
blacksmith shop Then there were no
machines 70 chew up iron, az 1t were,
and spit il out in the form or tacEs ana
brads and cat nails, as now. The latling
in Governor SpOtswOOd's house, nov
standing near Yorktown, and known 70
history As the Moore House, IN which
he terms OF Lord CORVALLIS surrender
were drawn up, il all put on with
wrolrhtnaiis On the old plantations in
the barunial days OF slavery, there we've
bows selected for their intelligence, VINO
we're taught tO make nails for domestic
use and for sale They were always de
scribed IN wills and other important pa
pers rs 'nailOTs, and were considered
among the most valuable Of the slaves
So IN the mansiOn at 1uckahoe, twelve
miles above Richmond, on tue James riy
er, house, built in the reign OF Charles
H.. the lathing is secured by wrought
nails and the wainscotiDg by wooden
pegs.
The interior Of the best town houses
was finished in the highest style OF the
day On the first floor tie doors were
often made Of solis dark mahogany
swung upon silyer-plsted hinges. Others
were of polished OF painted oak or pine
aud were almost invariably adorned with
large brass locks kept brightly polished
A few of these are sin lett 10 attract Tho
attention of the antiQuary Sometime
the outer doors were In two leaves, and
besides being fastened by an unusually
large iron lock and heavy bolts, We're
made even more secure by strong bar
on the inside. This was suggestive Of
more primitive age, when it was thought
necessary 10 make safety dOubly sure.
The furniture was generally of ma
hOgany, the style being regulated by the
taste and financial resources or the pro-
pgietor. 1t was heavily and strongly
made and decorated with certain orna
menls in the way of knobs handles AMI
castors and claws of brass. Much OF this
furniture has been purchased since the
close of the war By people in thu
North who hope 10 deceive their de-
scendants with the idea that they them
selves were originally respectable enough
to have been in such good company.
The rocking chair in the modern par
lor' was never seen mixed up with the
stately and becoming furniture OF the
drawing room. Arm chairs were com
mon. When first introduced the rocker
was intended solely for use in the sleep
Ing apartments and Tor inyallds and old
people. Many now living know all about
the high bedsteads then in use, but
younger people cannot realize that II
was then necessary 10 20 10 bed up
flight Of three OF four steps This al
rangement was placed At the side Of the
bed, and was generally covered with
carpet or some other soft material over
this lofty sleeping place was a square
canopy, supported 10y high bed-posis
and hung round with curtains, complete
IN encircling the occupants The space
below was hid from view by another
curtain attached 10 the frame Of the bed
falling Just low enough 10 allow the
brass casters OF the bed posts 70 peep from
under IL. The use of carpets IL Of cOmpaI-
aiiyely modern date, the floors Of the old
est town houses being made OF Tie best
pine or oak timber, aud kept so
smoothly polished by what was called
dry-rubDing that il often required I'M
usual care TO walk on them without be-
Ing in danger Of fall llatting pre-
ceded the use of carpets When tho lat
Ter became fashionable the very best
English article was 10 be found IN the
dwellings OF well-to-do people. They
were expected and did last from ten 10
twenty years. 1t was not deemed neces-
ssrv al that time 10 buy new coverings
fol- the floors because some enteTpIlsinI
dealer had Just invented new pattern
or new shade of cOloring. ] he re-
spectabilty OF families was not generally
gagged by what they had in their houses,
either in the matter OF carpets OF Of fur
niturs Mirrors OF two patterns were in
use. One was long and narrow, with a
heavy cornice al the top, and often
adorned with q sketch of "a landscape or
other device the other was circular tho
convex glass being secured by a strong
frame Of the same shape, and bearing Oh
each side an ornamental candlestick
Both Of these varieties were generally in
pairs and were hung on opposite sides
Of tho room A fsw OF these are left,
and are valued, strange to say, more as
relics and herlooms than for their
beauty.
The houses to which We refer had been
built in accordance with desire for
space more than for what in modern
days IS known as comfort. They gene
rally have from .ix 10 ten rooms
above the basement. These were large,
high.pitched and OTnamenlet with
heavy cornices, and elaborate decora-
tions in plaster on the ceilings, while
massive entablatures oyershadowed the
doors. Now and then niche relieved