Walk past the lobby through the galleries into the brick Carriage Room.
To conclude our tour, we saved one of the most impressive artifacts for last. This chariot was made especially for John Brown in Philadelphia in 1782 and brought back by his son James. John Francis’s mother remembered riding in it with James shortly after the chariot was completed before leaving Philadelphia. In fact, it is believed to be the oldest American-made vehicle in existence today. It became known as the “Washington Chariot” because George Washington is said to have ridden in it while visiting Providence and John Brown. But this was just one of the carriages and one of the modes of transportation used by the Brown family.
One Brown family story of a horseback ride involved one family member not mentioned yet on our tour, the family dog, Tiger. We learned from one of Abby’s diary entries that John Brown Francis, while on a ride with his grandfather, fell from the carriage and was saved by Tiger the dog.
… during this journey his Horse fell & threw him, unfortunately his foot was held fast to the stirrup and in that way he was dragd the Distance of three rod but the horse only walk’d & at length was stopd by means of the Dog – Tiger going before him. The distance Altho’ so great doesn’t appear to have injured my child in the least indeed he scarce appear’d fatigued.
