The architecture is early Greek revival. It has the two original front doors. As you enter the front door you are in the PARLOR. This room was used for special occasions, much like our living rooms are today. There is an E.P. Carpenter pump organ dated 1885. It is played for some of our tours and the school children are invited to try their skills. Dorothy Burmeister Obrock donated the antique organ stool. The walnut cabinet desk is circa 1875, the chair is also walnut with a canedseat. The Eastlake velvet chairs, a blue and a gold, are walnut circa 1870. These chairs belonged to Maron Miller and William Webb and were donated by Glover V. Webb & Adelaide Webb Green. There is a beige velvet 1890 Victorian serpentine walnut couch. The small table is poplar wood l880 and is called a treaty table. By the front window is a circa 1860 walnut oval table. It has an electrified brass oil lamp with a red glass shade. The decorative tea stand is made of curly iron with a brass kettle and warmer made in 1870. Oil lamps and candles remind all of us how our pioneer ancestors lived without electricity.

 

A small BEDROOM off of the parlor would have been used as a birthing room when Mrs. Miller had her children, a guest room for a traveler and we are using it as a child’s bedroom. The crib had many members of the Titus family sleeping there. The walnut cradle used by Carrie Miller was donated by the Duff Paine family. A small walnut chest belonged to Dan Titus and was donated by the family of Rena Titus Thoma. Rena was an opera singer and lived in the brick school house built in 1874 which was made into a residence after the new school was built. An antique rocker would have been an important piece of furniture. A rocking horse and other toys are also displayed.

 

The KEEPING room also has a front door entrance. This room would have been used for all of their activities similar to our great rooms of today. The dry sink was donated by the Avon Lake Historical Society. It is a good reminder that there was no running water in the house. The butter churn is circa 1850. A step back cupboard is made of Ohio chestnut circa 1860. It was named that because it is in two pieces and the top piece is set back from the front. Like the walnut fireplace and other walnut in this museum chestnut is also rare and expensive wood. We have a child’s high chair with a cane seat. Two chairs are called plank chairs because the seats are all one piece. The antique spinning wheel was used by the late Beverly Kiousis to spin the flax and make the curtains for the parlor. She set up her demonstration under the shag bark hickory tree. The drop-leaf walnut table is Eastlake circa 1870. It is called a married piece because the ornate rectangular bottom would have been replacing the original legs. It was donated by the Rena Titus Thoma family. Cooking in the fireplace would not have been an easy task. The kettle crane was used to swing the kettle back and forth to control the heat.

 

This BEDROOM has a poplar wood Jenny Lind headboard rope bed circa 1850. Two people would have slept in this bed. The rosewood grained walnut night stand with towel bars is circa 1850. Wash set was donated by the Antique group from the Lakeshore Women’s Club. The young visitors cannot believe two people slept in that room and had no bathroom. You don’t realize how small rooms are unless you see them. The trunk was important as there were no closets. There are two rooms and one larger room upstairs. We are not using them due to the narrow stairs and fire code.

 

The PANTRY is in the north east corner. A large walking wheel circa 1840 is there. They called it a walking wheel because the person spinning had to walk back and forth. There are many interesting things in this room. A wooden egg crate, molds, utensils, glass, cookie cutters, and wooden potato masher and many other antique items are here for you to see. An herb drying rack with herbs from our herb garden is on display.

 

An ANNEX was built to join the back door of the house to a brick root cellar. Some of the things to see are pictures, map and a genealogy chart. The background of this chart shows Peter Miller when he was treed by a bear. The story was in the McGuffey readers of early days. The sink and other necessities were added in this new area including an exit door.

 

A ROOT CELLAR has brick walls that are 22 inches thick. This makes a very nice room for our special programs and a meeting room. Two display cases are build in and a bookcase with glass doors make nice display areas. The settee is green/gold velvet maple circa 1910, donated with the velvet parlor chairs. There are 20 chairs and 4 card tables available.

 

The BASEMENT entrance is outside a few feet from the side door. It has bilco doors and the children often mention they are like the ones in the Wizard of Oz. Laundry items, wood working tools, saws, farm items, feeding bucket, handmade wooden rake, a wagon and many interesting items are on display. The large hand-hewn beams can be seen overhead.