The first floor of the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion is interpreted, in large measure, to the Maxwell years circa 1860. The furnishings and decoration are essentially those of the Civil War period. The dining room and parlor are rich with Rococo revival and Renaissance revival furniture, predominantly machine-made. Ebenezer Maxwell installed all the modern conveniences then available. Gas lighting in the chandeliers and wall sconces would have been supplemented by portable table lamps. The gravity hot air system as fitted in the Mansion was first available in the 1850’s.
The Parlor window treatments were taken from Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, 1854. The lambrequin at the top, full side drapes and ties and the lace or “glass” curtains represent the style of 1860. The parlor wallpaper, installed in the French style – floor to ceiling, is a Scalamandre rococo revival documentary reproduction of from the time period. Gold and mirrors were installed to reflect the dim light from the gasoliers.
