Front Hall

You are now viewing the front hall.  The front hall was very important in Victorian times since it provided an introduction for the visitor to the inhabitants of the place. The front hall would reflect the culture and refinement or lack thereof of the occupants. We are sure the McHenry’s front hall provided an appropriate setting for welcoming their guests.

The most important piece of furniture in the front hall was the hall stand. It was the equivalent of a closet today. The hooks provided places for hats, scarves and coats. The curved wooden hooks above the cast iron pans were for umbrellas, parasols and canes. The center drawer could hold gloves. The hall stand is made of walnut in the Renaissance Revival furniture style. The large mirror provided an opportunity for guests to check out their appearance before proceeding into the parlors.

Sitting on the small table is a silver-plated calling card tray. It held cards of women coming to call on Mrs. McHenry. “Calling” was a very popular pastime amongst Victorian women in the last quarter of the 19th century. Visits would be made in the afternoon on specified days. If one wanted to just “stop by” but not visit, a card could be left. If one wanted to converse with the lady or ladies of the house, the visit would be limited to approximately 15 to 30 minutes. That way, several calls could be made in an afternoon.

Also, note the wheel-cut glass windows in the front doors as well as the glass in the transom. The transom design is original to the Mansion. The design is cut into the window glass with a grinding wheel. The pattern in the door windows is based on the transom.

The wallpaper is a reproduction made by the manufacturing firm of Bradbury and Bradbury. It reflects the popular style of dividing a wall into thirds with a dado paper above the baseboard, a fill paper in the center and a frieze paper above the picture rail. It also reflects the influence of China and Japan on interior decoration during the 1870s and 1880s.

The carpeting is also a reproduction. It was made by the firm of Woodward Grosvenors of Kidderminster, England.  This firm, which began making carpets in 1790, wove carpets for Queen Victoria. The pattern featured here is based on designs in their archives from the 1880s. Carpets, at the time, were only woven in 27 inch widths, because that was the capacity of the looms. The strips were then sown together. The edges were turned and tacked to hold the resulting room-size carpet in place.