One of the perks of home education is being able to take off from the daily academic work and do things together that would normally have to wait until weekends. Grace and I decided to do just that by having a Valentine’s girl day.
We decided to tour the Rosemount Museum in Pueblo. This 37-room mansion (more on that later) owned by the Thatcher family was build in 1893. The Thatchers were founders of the First National Bank in Pueblo. We had the privilege of having a ‘private’ tour—we were the only ones there! Our tour guide was great, answering questions and not rushing us through.
The Thatcher Mansion (which is what we grew up calling it) takes up a city block. You can see how beautiful it must be in the springtime when things start greening up.
We weren’t allowed to take pictures inside. This is on the back side of the house or the servant’s entrance.
Down from the home is the carriage house-turned-restaurant which is temporarily closed, otherwise we would've had lunch there.
I thought this was a neat picture taken through the barren, winter tree
branches.
Grace loves studying the Victorian/Edwardian eras so she was in her element.
Some things we thought interesting:
Each room was trimmed in a different kind of wood with the furnishing for that particular room matching as well.
The home is advertised as having 37 rooms. At first glance, there is no way there is 37 rooms. But there is when you figure in every closet—bedrooms, utility, pastry, and let’s not forget the ‘water closets’. Back then every nook and cranny, thus every closet, was considered a ‘room’. The more ‘rooms’ the higher the property taxes. That is why, if you’ve ever noticed, in very old homes there aren’t any closets in the bedrooms but chests or armoires. I guess the Thatchers were wealthy enough to afford the higher property taxes! (Actually I think this still applies in some states).
If any door from the servant’s quarters or kitchen opened into the main part of the house, that door was made of "cheap pine on the servant’s side and expensive oak on the family’s side".
The architect thinking ahead, had the home wired for electricity even though there was no electricity in homes in our neck of the woods. They used gas lamps until then. Same went for plumbing. In this case, way before our area had indoor plumbing, they installed a huge water tank on the top floor taking advantage of the gravity for flowing water {and flushing}.
Grace couldn’t stop talking about it, and talked her dad’s ear off that evening. I’d say she did school, wouldn’t you?
It’s All A Fun Day Good!
Brenda
We love touring those types of homes. It's beautiful! I wish they would let you take pictures though.
ReplyDeleteI love it that you and Grace did this together Brenda! And YES I'd say she did school. I home schooled my younges, Chelsea, who is now 25. Such happy memories....because she was home with me she learned to cook and bake. It really helped her prepare for being a wife and mommy and running her own household. Every moment we invest in them, even by taking a tour together, brings rewards forever :)))
ReplyDeleteThat old house is right up my alley. I think Grace and I are kindred spirits!
Love to you both,
Danette
Sure, that counts as a field trip! :-)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a neat house. Interesting to see the Spanish influence -- here all the tour houses are very colonial, or, like the Baltimore, European.
I didn't know that about rooms being taxed and why that led to armoires rather than closets. I learned something today!
Was that house used in any movies? And, yes! She most definitely got an education that day, which most people forget, is the goal of school:)
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful home. What a great field trip!
ReplyDeleteThat is th great thing about homeschool, "school" if often so far away from the traditional desk and chalk board. And a much richer education too! In my opinion!