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Go to Second Floor
THE ENTRYWAY FROM THE FRONT DOOR
There is evidence that guests entered from both the formal front door,
and the rear door. The graceful redwood stairway to the second floor
gives the entry hall a formal air. Furniture along the north wall could
have included a table for hats, cards and flowers. Extra dining chairs
would have been along the south wall.
Still to do: carpeting, wallpaper, doors on the closet under the stairs and between the front and rear hall, separating
the kitchen and the Drovers' or workers and/or travelers dining room from the family area.
NOTE: We are fortunate to have the remembrances of Mary Hila Griffin
Wolf who visited the house as a child to help with the reconstruction
of the life and vital appearance of the house. See her memoirs to
imagine the house in the late 1850s.
THE PARLOR
To the right, or south of the Entry is the Parlor, the room where the
Johnstons would have entertained, served tea and gathered around the
fireplace. The Empire style settee, originally covered in horsehair,
and the rocking chair were part of the Johnstons' furnishings and were
given to the Foundation by James's granddaughter, Petra Johnston
Cooper. The rococco revival decoration on the crest of the upper back
of the settee matches the brown velvet ladies chair, with balloon back.
The Gentleman'schair, covered in red velvet, came from northern
California. A center mahogany table holds a solar lamp that lit the
room at evening. The game table in the southeast corner was the
Johnston's.
The mirror between the west windows is from the period (1853-1858) but is described in Mrs. Wolfe's memoirs as being "floor
to ceiling" a marble top table is under the mirror.
The mirror over the sofa is from the period and the frame may someday hold one of the paintings described in the memoirs.
The marble mantle holds a glass-domed clock by Paul Macel of Paris.
The portrait of James Johnston over the mantle is in a period frame.
The two Empire side chairs are covered in needlepoint too late for the period.
The large Empire style secretary/bookcase contains period books.
Still to do: Wallpaper, picture molding, wall-to-wall carpet described
as mossy green, filled with flowers; painted window shades, cornices
over the windows, draperies, replacement covers for the side chairs;
fire screen and fireplace tools and paintings.
There would have been a door to the room from the hall. It is left off to allow visitors to see the room more easily.
THE SITTING ROOM
The smaller, cozy room to the north is where the family would gather in
the late afternoon and after dinner. Here the women would sew and mend,
James would work at his desk, and children would play or read. The
stove would keep the room warm even during coastside winters. A central
table held a lamp or candles.
The settee and matching rocking chair are period
A Chinoiserie sewing cabinet filled with ivory tools stands along the west wall.
Another chair and footstool
The child's rocker has been recaned
James' desk and chair
Needlework from the period includes an unfinished sampler with the date stitched as far as "185_"
A second Sewing Cabinet
Oval and rectangular tables
Still to do: Wall to wall carpet matching the parlor, wallpaper,
draperies, perhaps cornices above the windows, hang landscapes of
Scotland, etchings of James' El Dorado Saloon and of Portsmouth Square,
where he and Petra were married in 1852.
There would have been a door to the room from the hall. It is left off to allow visitors to see the room more easily.
THE DINING ROOM
Between the Sitting Room and the Kitchen, the Dining Room shared a
chimney with the NW room and probably had a pot-bellied stove in the
corner. The family would gather here for meals, sometimes with other
family members and the more distinguished travelers or guests.
The dining table is the centerpiece of the room. A china cabinet from
the period holds dishes and special accessories. James granddaughter,
Petra Johnson Cooper, described the original dining room furnishings,
sold during the depression.
Still to do: Wall to Wall carpeting, wallpaper, draperies, sconces for
the walls, an Empire style sideboard and a serving cart on wheels,
china, glassware and flatware from the period. A large painting over
the sideboard would feature a still life with food or game.
There would have been a door to the room from the hall. It is left off to allow visitors to see the room more easily.
A door will be installed between the dining room and the kitchen.
THE KITCHEN
The domain of the Chinese cook listed as "Sam Chinaman" in the1860
census. A long drain board against the west wall contained a wooden
sink and will be reconstructed from another wooden table from the
period. The room contains cupboards, a wood burning cook stove,
worktable, chair and candles. Foodstuff can be glimpsed in the pantry.
Petra, Melita and Isabel may have worked in or supervised the cooking
of Mexican and/or Scottish dishes. A baby's highchair could have been
here for the nursemaid to feed the youngest child.
Still to do: Replace the missing drain board/sink. Add accessories for the kitchen and the cook. There would be no wallpaper
or rugs
SAM'S ROOM
Sam was baptized as a Catholic on May 30, 1861, the day he married Crescensia, a young Mexican girl with a three-year-old
son, Pablo Roberto Simon, whose father was listed as Simon of Mexico.
Petra and Thomas Johnston were Pablo's Godparents. Crescensia may have been the nursemaid or worked for the Thomas Johnston
family. Ursula Valenzuela, Petra's mother, was Sam's Godparent along with Saturnino Correa.
Still to do: An outline and list of objects and clothing to be
displayed here reflects the young man, probably from Canton, who cooked
the family's meals and probably cleaned the house and did the laundry.
His room also would have contained a crucifix.
Plain, unbleached cotton cheesecloth, gauze or muslin curtains
Spool bed or cot with rope support for mattress
Rustic table
Chair Spanish colonial circa 1800, ladder-back, rush seat
Iron clothing hooks, hat hook
Water pitcher and bowl 1845-55
oil or kerosene lamp © 1860
Leather apron, mid-calf, worn, winter smock, Chinese, black muslin,
Summer smock, muslin, hip length, trousers/leggings, drawstring waist, and narrow ankles
Skullcap, Shoes/slippers Chinese slip on
Rice bowl, tea cup, chop stick rest, chop sticks, flour broom, tea tin.
THE "VESTIBULE"
Interesting theories have suggested this rear "porch" was open to the
east and used as a shaded area as well as a rear entrance to the house.
Walls have been finished with outdoor siding. Research is underway to
determine if this is a correct interpretation.
Drawings of the Back Buildings about 8 feet to the rear of the house
showing the footprint and elevations of the missing structures have
been completed by Architectural Resources Group. Plans include
rebuilding them for more displays, other family memorabilia, storage, a
disabled bathroom. A privy will be reconstructed in the original
location.
The buildings are seen from the south in a photograph on a card
postmarked 1906 and from the north in an 1890 crayon/watercolor sketch
by Davenport Bromfield, San Mateo County Surveyor/Engineer. Other
photos show an area marked by a picket fence to the south of these
buildings which may have been the garden.
THE OFFICE
In the southeast corner of the house, the Foundation has located its office.
Still to do: More research on possible uses of this space
THE DROVERS' DINING ROOM
The room is connected to the second floor sleeping area for travelers
and/or ranch hands by the stairway on the western wall of the room.
Meetings of the Board of the Johnston House Foundation are held here.
Markings indicating the staircase were found by historic
expert/consultant George Watson while reconstructing the house after it
was blown over in 1976 by high winds.
Still to do: More research on period furnishings that would have been used in such a dining area for the help.
THE GARDEN
Melita's garden to the south includes heritage roses and other flowers
and an 1858 English garden bench cast in aluminum rather than iron to
avoid rust. The casting, an exact replica, was made in 2004. The bench,
designed to resemble twigs gives visitors a place to rest and enjoy the
beauty of the surroundings.
Go to Second Floor tour
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