St. Lawrence County Historical Society, Part 2

I was touring the Silas Wright house (see also Part 1, posted yesterday), and took a closer look at the fireplace. The dutch oven, according to the brochure, was then called a "beehive" oven. The wallpaper, while not original, was in the oriental style which was popular at the time:

This looked to me like a bedroom dresser, but if I read the brochure correctly, it was a "butler's desk," a place for the servants to keep documents and records of the house:

From the dining room, I proceeded into the study, where Silas Wright spent much time writing letters and conducting political business while at home. I thought the top hat was a nice touch:

Also in the study were other comfortable furnishings, including the sofa, which did indeed belong to the Wrights:

These law books and Assembly records once belonged to Silas Wright:

The Silas Wright house had spacious double parlors, places to entertain and conduct the formal affairs of a Senator and Governor:

The piano in the rear parlor was manufactured by the Badlam Piano Works of nearby Ogdensburg about 1850:

Reflected in the mirror was an oil painting which, I read, was originally thought to be a portrait of Clarissa Wright (Silas' bride) in her wedding bonnet. Alas, later research indicated that it is more likely to be Clarissa's sister-in-law, Susan Brown Moody:

This portrait was of Silas Wright Jr:

The brochure informed me that the center table belonged to the Wrights. The pair of card/gaming tables were brought into St. Lawrence County in 1825, although they didn't belong to the Wrights:

The entrance hallway had framed lithographs of George and Martha Washington and a hand painted floor cloth:

This photo gives you an idea of how the double parlors were connected and the comfortable, albeit formal, feelings they evoked. This was the end of my tour of the living area of the Silas Wright house. But there was more to see at the museum, so tune in tomorrow for another post: