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THE MASTER BEDROOM
At the head of the stairs, the door to the right or south leads to the
Master Bedroom. The matching bedroom suite includes the bed, dressing
table, nightstand and washstand that belonged to James brother, John
Edward, Sr. and were donated by his grandson, John Douglas Johnston.
John Edward Sr. was one of the first three supervisors for San Mateo
County. James son John was city clerk for the city of San Mateo for 22
years. A black horsehair settee is for Petra to use as she rests and
cares for her infant children. The cradle was made in Ohio.
The closet will contain some of James and Petra's clothing including
Petra's opera cape, mantilla and James' beaver hat. The brass-trimmed
leather trunk painted red with black and white floral borders was made
in China for the Mexican market, belonged to Petra and was used in the
house The fireplace kept the room warm.
Still to do: Finished curtains, bed coverings, floor covering for the stairway and the upstairs rooms, wall coverings,
if any, fireplace screen and tools.
THE CHAPEL
Perhaps the most unusual room in this classic New England Saltbox built
by a Protestant Scottish immigrant is the Catholic chapel used by Petra
and her mother, Ursula. The original lace altar cloth is in the display
case. The altar with the figure of the Virgin Mary is original to the
house and it is possible that the wallpaper inside is from scraps of
wallpaper in the downstairs parlor. The Prie Dieu is from California,
of the period and was used to knell on during prayers. The "Child of
Peace", a religious statue of the Baby Jesus, came to the house with
the altar.
The bedroom in the northwest corner of the house has an area open to
the framing timbers so visitors can see the mortice-and-tenon
construction that goes back to Jacobean houses in England in the 15th
century. The room is furnished as a woman's bedroom, perhaps where
Ursula or Isabelle, James sister, lived after she came from Ohio in
January, 1860. Isabelle remained here and in the William Johnston House
across Higgins-Purissima Road until her death in 1900. The furniture is
of the period.
Still to do: Reupholstering the chair, window and bed coverings and floor treatment.
THE CHILDREN'S ROOM
With the cradle in the master bedroom ready to receive the next child,
this bedroom is for the older children. James, Jr. would have been 5 in
1858 and Alice 4. A small child's bed is being restored and added to
the room. The blue bedroom set --bed and chest of drawers from 1850--
has hand-painted pictures on each piece. The set has a California
provenance.
Still to do: Bed to be finished, window and floor treatments, toys and bedcoverings. A china-head doll with leather body
might have been Alice's.
NOTE: The east wall that goes from north to south at the head of the
stairs was solid. It had no door or opening. This wall divided the
house and kept the family separated from the travelers, guests or ranch
workers who slept in the loft, reached by the stairway from the
downstairs drovers' dining room.
THE DROVERS' LOFT OR "LEAN TO"
The unfinished loft was probably furnished with beds similar to the
rope-bottomed cot to be displayed. Display cases contain articles that
are original to the Johnston family and other artifacts. A video about
the house is shown in this room.
Visitors return to the first floor via the back stairway to the Drovers' dining room.
MARY WOLF'S. Memories of a family friend
"To those who knew the unusual beauty of the house
itself, a visit was a never to be forgotten experience. On the south
west to the right of the entrance was the drawing room - on the south
side of the room was a marble mantle, two large small paned windows,
one on either side (matched by two to the west) walls ivory and gold,
the furniture in the drawing room and throughout the house was the
finest imported mahogany and rosewood. The furniture in the drawing
room was rare wood covered with a lovely tapestry. Tables were rosewood
and cabinets of rare oriental woods inlaid with mother of pearl; these
cabinets were of intricate designs of cunning drawers and cabinet work
, held marvelous shells, corals and rare paintings of birds, flowers
and butterflies. There were many rich painting on the wall, the east
wall had a marvelous mirror from floor to ceiling-Mantle held a
marvelous clock of gold ormula (sic)-with tall urns on either side of
same material. Marvelous andirons were there and two enormous
pink-lined seashells, carpet an all over as was the vogue at that
time-a mossy green velvet with flowers you felt like gathering. It was
also good form to swath the gold frames of pictures and mirrors in soft
shirred gauze, this was a delicate pink [defense against flies on a
dairy farm necessarily extended to pictures!].
"But above all, the windows were a fairy land indeed- First covered
with shades, silk and linen-a rich array yet more or less transparent
and were painted in exquisite panels and colors of tropical birds and
flowers and running water-a sort of Wateau [sic] effect that was
amazing-over these from a gold cornice hung delicate lace, and draped
over these exquisite brocades draped by cords which ended in gold bells
with little golden hands, as dimpled and natural as a child's-wind
harps were placed in the windows and as the slightest breeze tinkled
the golden bells, so entrancing I affirm and will ever declare it was
fairy land to be allowed in that lovely spot as a privileged member of
the family The wide gallery and utility part of the house-the great
pressed brick chimneys-Venetian blinds. The south walled garden with
but one entrance - a dream of loveliness.I was the very last living
person to witness and enjoy a vanished early day splendor whose
memories are as bright and clear to me as the darling setting sun."
Malcolm Watkins wrote "There is every reason to trust her memories. We
know that there were brick chimneys in the house and a recovered base
of one of the marvelous andirons, whose cast intricacies might have
impressed a child, proves that fireplaces once existed. The exquisitely
preserved Victorian mahogany chairs and table, and walnut sofa and
rocking chair with a lovely tapestry are still in existence. Mrs.
Cooper recalled a large number of paintings, now lost. The "marvelous
clock" on the mantel had a glass dome, a small dial, and an alarm that
was set by a string. The "Venetian blinds" were exterior swinging
blinds.
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