Please continue through the large, curtained doorway to enter the Library.
This is Lucknow’s Library, a space that served as the Plants’ living room. Tom and Olive likely spent a good deal of time in this room, reading, doing puzzles, and perhaps playing cards. Olive especially enjoyed playing Bridge, and was a fan of crossword puzzles.
As you look around this space, take note of the adornments and finishes. The light fixtures in this room – and throughout the house – are the work of the Edward F. Caldwell Company of New York. E.F. Caldwell was the premier company in the world of decorative lighting at the turn of the 20th century. They designed fixtures for many residences and public buildings across the country including the Boston Public Library, the Flatiron Building and Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, both in New York City, and the White House.
Next, turn your attention to the roundels – the hand-painted scenes embedded in the leaded glass doors. There are 21 of these roundels throughout the mansion, depicting flora, fauna, hunting motifs, and scenery from the property. These are all built into the doors and windows, which were fabricated by an English company, the George Wragge Company. It is likely that these paintings are the work of artists on George Wragge’s staff, though not a single one is signed.
And finally, notice the fine furniture in this room. The large table in the center of the room is the work of the Tobey Handmade Furniture Company. As you might recall, this company advertised that their pieces were hand-carved by skilled Norwegian craftsman, and their work is truly remarkable. Notice how each of the legs on this table is decorated with a unique leaf pattern.
Other furniture in this room – the sofa, for instance – is from the Irving & Casson firm, which also provided the home’s interior design, according to real estate advertisements from the 1920s and 30s. Notice the detailed carving above the window in the inglenook. This would have been hand-carved by Irving & Casson’s artisans.
While we’re in the inglenook – also called a “chimney corner” or an alcove with seating on either side of a fireplace – you might notice something unusual about this fireplace. The window above, which would have provided a lovely view of the Ossipee Mountains during the Plants years here, sits where a chimney would normally be located. This was a working fireplace, though, and its chimney is angled up and away to the right.
These elements demonstrate an unparalleled level of craftsmanship and are illustrative of the Arts and Crafts aesthetic here at Lucknow. These elements were also very expensive, which proved problematic for the Plants, whose fortune, unfortunately, did not last.
The Plants spent lavishly to furnish this home. They also poured funds into the construction of the Plant Memorial Home in Bath, Maine, in 1917, and the Bald Peak Colony Club in Melvin Village in 1920. During these years, Tom devoted additional funds to investments that floundered – including the purchase of Russian bonds shortly before the Bolshevik Revolution. As a result, the Plants found themselves in financial difficulty in the early 1920s – a situation from which they would never fully recover.
