Formal Dining Room

You’ve now stepped into the upper dining room. Here, Thomas and Charity could have dined with fellow Quaker ministers or dignitaries from the surrounding counties and states. Later generations would use the more formal dining space for social gatherings and parties, eventually abandoning the downstairs dining area altogether. Food would be passed from the kitchen to this dining room by a dumbwaiter, until the modern kitchen was added in 1910. Have a look at the hutch cabinet. From bottom to top, the shelves feature artifacts and dining sets belonging to the families who lived here. Do any of these pieces look similar to things in your own home? As you take a look around, our story will say goodbye to the Rotches and welcome in the next family to live at Spring Hill.

In September of 1823, Thomas and Charity traveled to Mount Pleasant for the Quaker Annual Meeting. While there, Thomas contracted bilious fever, which we know as malaria. Despite being tended to by many doctors, Thomas died ten days later, and is buried at the Quaker Cemetery in Mount Pleasant.

When Charity returned home, more sad news awaited her. She learned that Mary Kimberly, her dear friend and personal helper who had married Arvine Wales, had passed away. Mary had been expecting her first child, but unfortunately, she lost the baby in childbirth. Then, she herself died seven days later, on the same day as Thomas.

Arvine Wales closed up his own home and moved back into Spring Hill. Both he and Charity relied on each other through their grief. Arvine also helped Charity run the estate, as Thomas had willed that his wife should keep their home until her death before going onto his heirs. Compounded by her grief, Charity’s health grew progressively worse and she died a year later.

Charity was well-known for her generosity and had always given to those in need. After her death, she left money to a variety of institutions. Seven hundred dollars was left to build a new Quaker Meeting House. Another seven hundred was left in cloth to build a schoolhouse for Kendal. All of Thomas and Charity’s books went to the establishment of the Kendal Social Library, which was founded in 1825. The Kendal Social Library was the first public library in the area. Many of the books that they had gifted have been returned to our collection and you can see some of them later in the tour.

The bulk of Charity’s estate went towards her dream of a school for orphans and poor, disadvantaged children. Land given to her by her husband and all of her personal property was to be sold and the proceeds to go towards the establishment of a school. Arvine Wales helped to make this dream a reality and the Charity School of Kendal opened in 1826 and ran until 1910 helping to educate approximately 500 children. You can see a diploma from the school on the wall. Though the school no longer stands, the Charity Rotch Foundation still exists today providing scholarships to students, education-based organizations, and non-profits.

When you’re ready, let’s continue to the Parlor.