[Illustration: The Hall and Unique Stairway]

The narrow entrance hall, opening directly on the stairs, has not been
altered. In the stairs, however, an exceedingly interesting treatment
has been introduced, made necessary by the plan of the rooms above. On
the first landing a doorway was cut in the chimney wall, and stairs
built up the center of the chimney between the two flues. These give
access to a small hall in the rear, connecting the several bedrooms. The
door that leads to these stairs, at the foot, is a "secret" one; that
is, it is covered with the wall-paper which surrounds it and fits
tightly into the wall without framing woodwork.

[Illustration: The Dining Room]

At the right of the hallway the parlor and dining-room were thrown into
one long living-room, and a pleasant triple window was cut in the rear
wall looking out upon the veranda. The fine old woodwork about the
fireplace was restored to its original beauty with many coats of white
paint. The hand-hewn beams in the ceiling were uncovered from the
casing which had hidden them, and the wood rubbed and oiled. The floor
was found to be in good condition and, after the placing of additional
boards where the partition was removed, was merely scraped, filled,
stained, and polished. A semicircular corner cupboard in a reproduction
of an old style, its shelves filled with interesting specimens of
seventeenth-century pewter, gives character to the room. The walls were
finished in a soft shade of burlap, and the old mahogany furniture,
chintz covers, rag rugs, and simple scrim curtains preserve the
delightful atmosphere.

On the opposite side of the hall is the library or den. This is
unchanged, except for the white paint and the quaint Colonial
wall-paper. Willow furniture is used.

Back of this, and extending across to the living-room, is the
dining-room. The beams show the position of the original walls and
indicate the way in which the room was enlarged. This leaves the
fireplace at the side of a sort of alcove and so, to balance it and give
importance to that end of the room, a china closet was built across the
corner. An unpaneled wainscot, with simple baseboard and molding at the
top, runs around the room, the new part matching the old. The woodwork
is all white, including the encased beams, which here were not in a
condition to be exposed. The upper walls are covered with a blue and
silver grass-cloth that strikes an effective color note behind t