(left)Downstairs (right) Upstairs

The staircase begins in the living room and take one up to the second floor to a hallway serving the Master bedroom, Guest Bedroom, Library and Bathroom.

We'll start downstairs and then go up to the second floor hallway, once again moving counterclockwise Since the staircase occupies the East wall, we'll start there amd move clockwise (East, South, West, North...)

Downstairs

  

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The Staircase begins at the East end of the Living room. There are two steps to a landing that serves a coat closet. Above thhe window on the East wall is a framed pillowcase commemorating the 1927 Flight of Charles Lindbergh. As you proceed up the staircase, you'll see three framed posters issued by the Smithsonian Institution as part of the "Original Fabric" series. As the experts at the Air & Space Museum were restoring historic aircraft, they saved bits of the original fabric that coovered the planes. This, in turn was cut into 2" x 2" squares and affixed to a poster. On the Staircase going up, you'll find original fabric from Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Vega, the Fokker T-2 transport, and the Wright Brothers' Vin Fiz publicity plane.

  



(left) Smithsonian "Original Fabric" Poster, Galbreath Perry's Vin Fiz
(right) Front page of the May 2, 1989 New York Journal
(bottom) Focus on Fireworks
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At the top of the staircase is a framed front page of the New York Journal from May 2, 1898 celebrating Admiral Dewey's victory at Manilla Bay. The dominant feature of the page is the word "VICTORY" in letters six inches high. However, a seemingly innocuous note at the top of the page may be found:

"The Journal will celebrate our first American victory tonight at Madison Square at 8:00 pm. All friends of aggressive Americanism are invited. Music and fireworks"

The notion of shooting off fireworks deep in the center of New York City (which was far from fireproof...) did not occur to Mr. Hearst, publisher of the Journal. Although he avoided trouble in 1898, this practice came back to bite him in 1902 -- as a celebration of Hearst's election to Congress, he had another massive fireworks display in Madison Square. This time, his luck ran out -- there was a dreadful catastrophe and fifteen people were killed (Read about it here). Hearst spent the rest of his life fighting lawsuits related to the incident.

The South Wall

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The South wall is mostly doors to the Bathroom and Library. This reproduction of a poster for Mossant Hats is in the only available space.

The West Wall

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The West wall is dominated by a reproduction 1950s Cuba travel poster, which is flanked by photos of Ellen and Marc's performance team at the 2003 Frederick Air Show.

The North Wall

     

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The North Wall holds two significant posters. At the top is a late 1940s travel poster for Cuba. Below it is a Gerritt Beneker poster for the fifth war loan. The workman in the poster is wearing buttons signifying that he has contributed to the first four war loans. We have a collection of these actual buttons displayed with the poster.

  

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This completes the Staircase and Hallway. Where would you like to go next?

The First Floor

The Second Floor

The Basement

If you don't like clicking on pictures:

You are in the Kitchen

• Go to the Living Room
• Go to the Dining Room
• Go to the Kitchen
• Go to the Florida Room
• Go to the Breakfast Room
• Go to the Master Bedroom
• Go to the Guest Bedroom
• Go to the Library
• Go to the Office
• Go to the Basement Storage Area
• Go to the Dance Studio
• Go to the Workshop
• Look at the Exterior and History of the House

OK -- Go someplace else

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