Dining Room

Pass through the hall to the dining room. One of the features of a Greek Revival house is the symmetry: window balances window; door balances door; and fireplaces are centered in their walls. This room is atypical of that symmetry because the dining room was altered from its original plan. During the Rotch period, this room was originally designed as two separate rooms. The room at the front of the house overlooking County Street served as William Rotch, Jr.’s office. This room had its own door to the vestibule near the front door, where business associates could enter. 

The smaller room was designed as a tea room for the purpose of greeting guests. “Taking tea” was a daily activity for the Rotches and a means of entertaining visiting family and friends. The ritual of "taking tea" was a popular pastime in the 19th century, particularly among the upper and middle classes, and it was often seen as a way to socialize and relax. It involved the preparation of a variety of refreshments, such as tea, coffee, and sandwiches, which would be served to guests in a formal setting. Tea parties could be held in the afternoon or evening, and they were often an opportunity for ladies to gather and engage in polite conversation.

During the Jones occupancy, the partition was removed in order to create a large formal dining room. The Jones installed the colonial style wainscoting, and the Italianate marble fireplace surrounds. The silver and porcelain on display in the cabinet is from all three families. Irving and Casson supplied and installed the wallpaper that emulated eighteenth and early nineteenth century hand painted Chinese papers.  Gracie and Sons of New York was the possible source for the paper in the 1930s. 

Dining was an important and ritualized activity in the 19th century. It was a time for the family to come together and socialize, and it was often accompanied by formal rules of etiquette. One of the most notable features of 19th century dining was the use of a formal table setting, with each place setting carefully arranged to include all of the necessary utensils, plates, and glassware. There were also strict rules of etiquette governing things like how to sit at the table, how to hold utensils, and how to pass food. Meals were often served in courses, with each course consisting of a variety of dishes. For example, a typical dinner might begin with a soup course, followed by a fish course, a meat course, and a dessert course.