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Meals in the Victorian era were more formal than they are today. Families like the Rowleys dined in their elegant dining room at a table set with fine china, sterling silver, crystal, and linen. Family members always dressed for dinner, which was prepared by the cook and several helpers and was served by a waiter or waitress. Other household servants included a butler, chamber maids, gardeners, groomsmen, stable hands, and by 1916, a baby nurse (for Aurthur's children) and a chauffeur. In large Victorian homes like Wyndhurst there was a separate room for just about every household activity. In addition to its parlor and dining room, Wyndhurst contained a formal entrance hall, reception room, music room, library smoking room, billiards room and sewing room. Bedrooms (called "bed chambers" at the time) were on the second and third floors. The music and sewing rooms were the domain of the women of the house; the smoking room, billiards room and library were the men's territory. Wyndhurst, the home of the family that published Merriam Webster dictionaries, contained an especially fine library. 
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Lunch on the verandah. In spring and summer, the verandah functioned as an auxiliary dining rooom. Even the simplest meals were elegantly presented and served by a waitress. 
Arthur Rowley (Gramp) in his study. Arthur Rowley, the younger son, in his study. The Victorian taste for exuberant decoration is evident in the stained glass, patterned carpet, and frescoed ceiling. A pot of the famous Wyndhurst chrysanthemums grows near the French windows. 
Library with a view of the fireplace. 
The billiard room. The private retreat of the male Rowleys and their guests. The decidedly masculine decor includes a ceiling of rough-stitched hide, painted with a "sky" of stars and a crescent moon. |
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Original photographs by George Van Norman, 1899. |
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