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11. Marden Perry's Bathroom

To continue with the tour, please walk into the bathroom on your left; please be careful when you step down into the space.

This bathroom was installed by Marsden Perry when he moved into the house in 1902. Perry was one of the most successful businessmen in Providence in the early 1900s. He owned Narragansett Electric, Fall River Electric, and the trolley company in Providence. He also expanded his holdings into natural gas and then banking.  In addition to plumbing, Perry also put in central heating and electricity. For its time, this bathroom was state of the art, with all of the most modern amenities available in the United States. Its features include a ribcage shower, sunken tub, toilet with a hidden water box, and heated pedestal sink. The wall tiles and stained glass depict images from French paintings, and the shell motif on some of the tiles evokes the early furniture design in Rhode Island. This bathroom’s aesthetic is actually very similar to the bathrooms being constructed in the mansions of Newport at the same time.

John Brown House Museum
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. First Floor Hall
  3. 3. Front Hall Portraits
  4. 4. Sarah Brown Portrait
  5. 4a. Alice Brown
  6. 8. Dark Work: The Business of Slavery in Rhode Island Exhibit
  7. 9. Mahogany Exhibit (From Forest to Foyer)
  8. 9a. Mahogany Collections
  9. 5. Maps of the World
  10. 6. Portrait and Platter
  11. 7. The Dining Room
  12. 7a. Sideboards in the Dining Room
  13. 7b. A Recipe
  14. 7c. Servants and Enslaved Persons
  15. 10. John and Sarah Brown's Bedchamber
  16. 10a. Necessary Chair
  17. 11. Marden Perry's Bathroom
  18. 12. Providence Landscapes
  19. 13. Large Bedchamber
  20. 13a. Sally and Charles
  21. 13b. Family Life
  22. 13c. Child's Walker
  23. 14. Second Floor Hall
  24. 17. Washington Wallpaper Room
  25. 18. Butlers Pantry
  26. 20. Carriage Room