LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - OCTOBER 13, 2019 by Lynne Belluscio There are four large rooms on the second floor of LeRoy House, with a very wide hall go- ing from front to back. You will notice that the ceiling in the front of the house is much lower and the door frames are very plain. In the back of the house, the ceilings are high and the mold- ings are very deeply carved. It is believed that the back of the house is the newer addition to the original land office building that stood on the front of the property. When the house was a boarding house in the 1870s, the rooms on the second floor were divided up in an effort to have more rooms. A wall was built across the back hall to make a small room. The evidence of this wall can be seen on the floor. The floor also re- veals a round hole where a stove pipe once brought heat from the main floor into the second floor. The four large rooms have fireplaces. Later, when a steam boiler was installed in the base- ment, the rooms were fitted with steam radiators – with the excep- tion of the northeast room which has no evidence of heat, other than the fireplace. The windows in the second floor are all fit- ted with interior shutters which could be closed to regulate room temperature in the summer and winter, as well as provide priva- cy. Four hall doors have nine- pane windows. The small frosted panes are painted with reverse paintings on glass, with images of animals and scenery. It is said that these were installed to pro- vide privacy in the rooms, but to allow light into the hall. We don’t know who painted the windows, but at one time they were consid- ered quite primitive. The back room on the east side, still retains beautiful panel- ing beneath the windows. More than likely, this was the “master bedroom” of Jacob and Charlotte LeRoy, with the windows over- looking the expansive gardens and courtyard in the back. (This room is now used for changing exhibits.) Across the hall is the furnished 1830 bedroom. The tall poster bed, is said to have been in the house when the Le- Roys lived here. It is quite pos- sible that the bed had a curved wooden frame to support bed curtains. The curtains could be closed to prevent drafts in the winter. In the early 1800s, bed curtains went out of favor, be- cause it was believed that they prevented good circulation of air. Beds at this time, consisted of a frame that could be woven with ropes to support a straw mattress. The ropes would be tightened when necessary with a wooden “bed wrench.” Little girls often played dolls with the wooden bed wrenches. For those people who could afford the luxury of a goose down mattress, this would be placed on top of the straw mat- tress. The linen sheets have a seam up the center because the linen was woven on a hand loom, which was narrow. Two pieces of linen were sewn together to make a large sheet. As the sheet wore in the center, the seam would be torn out and the outside would become the inside and a new seam sewn. Under the bed is a trundle bed on wheels. It could be rolled out at night and used by young children. Against the wall is a large wardrobe, which was used like a closet, since none of the rooms have closets. This wardrobe was owned by the Aspinall family of Pavilion Center, who said that it came from LeRoy House. It has huge hairy paw feet, which would indicate that it was made in New York City. The Aspinalls sold the wardrobe to Genesee Country Museum, and it was stored on the second floor of Liv- ingston Manor House and sur- vived the fire. Also in this room is a French style desk, that came from the LeRoy family. It was given to the Historical Society by Edward LeRoy as well as the portrait in oval frame above the desk, which is said to be a mem- ber of the LeRoy family. The small gothic chair supposedly belonged to Jacob LeRoy’s sis- ter, Caroline, who was married to Daniel Webster. Just inside the door to the left, is a copy of a portrait of Charlotte LeRoy’s mother. She wears a very fashionable turban, which was popular in the early 1800s. On the floor is reproduc- tion Chinese woven grass mat- ting which was fashionable when the LeRoy’s lived here. In the winter, the matting was removed or covered with rugs. In the front of the house, are two bedrooms. The east room, or children’s room, contains a col- lection of toys and children’s fur- niture and was restored in mem- ory of Clarice Perrone, wife of a former president of the Histori- cal Society. Above the mantle is a painting by Ida Taylor, an In- gham University graduate. (Miss Taylor’s paintings are exhibited in the back hall.) A small room is adjacent to this room, with a door into the hall and another door into this children’s room. It may have been a room for the govern- ess when the LeRoy family lived here, or it may have been created when the house was a boarding house. It is now used for the art collection storage. Across the hall, is the board- ing house bedroom and an ex- hibit about the LeRoy Academic Institute. This room was con- nected to the room on the main floor by a circular staircase that led from the closet into the vault room below. This room was the upper room of the apartment of Mr. Russell and his family. He served as principal of the LeRoy Academic Institute. He and his wife and young children lived here for several years. In front of the fireplace is a parlor stove which was manufactured in Le- Roy at the Bacon Foundry. It is not known when the bathroom and indoor plumbing was installed in the house. When the Historical Society acquired the house, the bath tub was re- moved and a large cabinet was installed. It is said that the third floor was the ballroom. It is now used for collection storage and is closed to the public. There are two rooms under the eaves on the west side and a large room on the west side. It may have provid- ed rooms for the servants, and it was likely used for students when the house was a boarding house. There is no heat on the third floor, so it must have been pretty cold in the winter. An un- usual detail on the third floor, is a roof hatch, that leads to the roof on the back of the house. Roof hatches are not uncommon in urban areas, but few are known in upstate New York. It was said that if a fire broke out, and peo- ple inside were trapped on the upper floors, they could escape to the roof until they could be rescued. Recently it provided access to the roof when we need- ed to make a roof repair. Upstairs at LeRoy House