Lippitt House Museum Providence RI a Return to Victorian Elegance History Bites New England

Located in a residential neighborhood in East Providence, Lippitt House is the creation of Henry Lippitt, who designed and supervised its construction. A man of considerable financial means, Lippitt was heir to one of Rhode Island's leading textile manufacturing families. Lippitt constructed the house for his wife, Mary Ann Belch, and their six children. The house was occupied by four generations of the Lippitt family before it opened as a museum in 1993. Henry Lippitt designed and supervised construction from 1863 until completion in 1865 of the Renaissance Revival brick and brownstone house. With three stories and 30 rooms, the house is significant for its technologically advanced central heating and plumbing. Lippitt House is also noteworthy for its craftsmanship, and it is a statement, notes the museum, of Providence's prosperity as a 19th century manufacturing and commerce center. Upon entering Lippitt House, the visitor will likely need a moment to adapt to the interior's relative darkness. Soon, however, one can't help but notice the many examples of privilege on display, such as the ornate chandelier and the large portrait of the family patriarch, Henry Lippitt. A native of Providence, Henry Lippitt's wealth can be traced to his family's connections to textile manufacturing and his investments in banks, railroads, and insurance companies. Indeed, by 1866, Lippitt was worth more than a half million dollars. In 1845, Lippitt married Mary Ann Balch, daughter of a Providence apothecary. Together, they had 11 children, yet only six survived to adulthood. Lippitt was elected governor of Rhode Island in 1875 and served two one-year terms. Among the features found in a Victorian house such as Lippitt are animal motifs. Consider the stags found on this chandelier. Says Kathy Saunders, Lippitt House curator of education, the stags represent Henry Lippitt's authority and his role as provider for his family and community. The walls and ceilings throughout Lippitt House have elaborate decorative paint schemes. Designed as a billiards room in 1865, this room was originally a space for the Lippitt men to entertain their friends and colleagues. In 1880, the space was converted to a music room. While touring the music room, take time to look at the many Lippitt family photos. Mary Ann and Henry Lippitt raised six children in a household that was filled with political ambition and civic activity. All three Lippitt sons served in elected office and all three daughters were active members of the community. Pictured on the right are Lippitt family World War II service members in the drawing room. In the late 19th century, home entertainment was seen as vital for strong families in all levels of society. After dinner, the Lippitt family gathered to play music and sing. It was an opportunity for the Lippitt daughters and their mother, Mary Ann, to demonstrate their musical accomplishments. The music room features this center floor medallion. Elaborate pocketry floor designs in the hall, dining, and music rooms add another level of high style design to Lippitt House. Comfort was key in the design of the music room. Turkish inspired furniture, including a conversation chair, smoking chair, and bare skin rug, were part of the decor. By the 20th century, the family referred to it as the smoking room. Leaving the music room, we move to the opposite end of the hall and take a peek at the reception room, which also features a ceiling with a decorative paint scheme. While the billiards room was originally designed as a space for men, the reception room was meant as a gathering place for women. This idea was reinforced by the design of the room, including the decorative floral motifs and the artworks on display. It was Mary Ann Lippitt who would often entertain guests in reception room. More than a host, it was also Mrs. Lippitt's responsibility to supervise the servants and make sure the house operated efficiently. Mrs. Lippitt, moreover, was instrumental in teaching her daughter, Jeannie, who became deaf at age four, to read lips and continue to develop her speech. After she lost her hearing, her mother was determined that Jeannie could be taught to speak again and insisted that she be raised as though she had no handicap. Jeannie would learn to speak French and to dance. This photograph was originally found in a Lippitt family album and it was captioned, Jeannie, totally deaf, the idol of the family, her mother's triumph, love to ride about the east side. Following her husband's death in 1912, Jeannie embarked on an automobile road trip from Maine to California. As noted, in Victorian-era architecture, there were gender-designated spaces and the library was considered a male space. As a two-term governor of Rhode Island, the library might have been a space where Henry Lippitt entertained some of the city's most prominent leaders. The Lippitt House dining room, notes the museum, has been described as the best surviving example of mid-19th century dining iconography in America. The dining room epitomizes the 19th century Victorian aesthetic with highly decorated over-scale furniture featuring hunt and harvest imagery, which is also depicted in carved architectural details. The Victorians' desire to dominate rather than be dominated by nature, whether that be by wild animals or by hunger, is personified in this room's art and furnishings. Pictured is Mary's bedchamber, one of the eight bedchambers in the house, plus three additional quarters for servants on the third floor. Like many members of the Lippitt family, Mary Lippitt Steedman was an active member of her community. In 1917, Mary was a founding member of the Providence Chapter of the American Red Cross. During World War I, she headed the Knitting and Garments Workshops, Canteen, and Moda Corps, and continued her active involvement with the Red Cross for the remainder of her life. Mary was also active in Rhode Island politics and supported the anti-suffragette cause. She died in 1938 at the age of 80. She had one son, Charles Richard, with her husband, Charles Steedman.