Historic Homes of New EnglandNorthend, Mary Harrod
History
Historic Homes of New England
Northend, Mary Harrod
Architecture, Colonial; Historic buildings -- New England
It stands back from the road, facing Lake Saltonstall, in the midst
of green fields, over which are scattered beautiful trees and flower
gardens. Entrance is at the front through a colonial porch, supported by
dignified columns and showing dentation, which is repeated in the
roof-line of the house. The entrance door, with its ponderous brass
knocker, swings back on its long strap hinges, and reveals a wide
hallway which extends entirely through the house to a second door, which
leads to a garden beyond. This door shows plainly the mark of the saw
where it was cut apart at the time of moving, and the scars of the
joining are shown with great pride by the present owners as evidence of
this achievement.
At the right of the entrance is the staircase, showing the spiral newel
post and carved balusters of the early period. The wainscoting is a
feature of this central hall, as is the arch midway between the two
entrance doors. A grandfather's clock ticks off the time, and beyond is
a wonderful old dresser with a rare collection of pewter, showing many
pieces that cannot be duplicated in this country. There is enough of
this metal collected to set an entire dinner table, reminding us of the
days when it was used extensively in this country, before the
introduction of china and glass.
Opening out of this room at the right is the den, where a wonderful
Franklin stove is used for heating. All around the room are pieces of
furniture which are not only historic but have much intrinsic value.
Opposite is the drawing-room, with its let-in window-seats and narrow,
panelled, wooden shutters, locked at night and serving, if need be,
instead of curtains. Many of the chairs found in this room were covered
with wonderful specimens of handiwork done by the wife of Elisha Cooke,
one of Doctor Saltonstall's ancestors, while much of the furniture came
over, as did the timbers, from the mother country, for the first
occupant of the house.
[Illustration: PLATE LXVIII.--Two Views of the Dining Room, Saltonstall
House.]
The dining-room is, perhaps, one of the most attractive rooms in the
house. It is well lighted by small-paned windows and contains
Hepplewhite chairs and side-table. At one side stands a sideboard which
was originally in the possession of Governor John Leverett, who was
Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time of King Philip's War
and who was a friend of Cromwell's, and created baronet and knight by
Charles II in 1676. Governor Leverett was an ancestor of the present
owner. On this sideboard are many pieces of old family silver,
including a tankard which was also owned by the governor.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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