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The material in this unit may be used to address the following Social Studies Standards
FUNCTIONALITY OF FLOORPLANS: Pre-Victorian Plans: Regularity and symmetry demanded by earlier architectural styles limited home floorplans Many pre-Victorian homes contained front-to-back central halls with two rooms on each side. (Early Creole floorplans are an exception; later Creole houses often contained central halls.) Within this plan room use was flexible and varied according to residents' wishes Victorian Era Plans: Specific uses assigned to particular rooms Floorplans planned from inside out according to needs and wishes of owners Free layout of rooms often created irregular (asymmetrical) floorplans supposedly expressing interests and individuality of owner Floorplans
divided into zones:
VICTORIAN
ROOMS:
Hall: Front hall decorated to reflect character of house and its owners. If second floor present in home, staircase usually located here. Larger homes sometimes had back hall. It was separated from main hall and had simple staircase for use of children and servants.
Parlor:
Most important, formal, highly decorated, and best room in house. Located at front of home. Used only for visitors and special occasions. Contained family's best furniture, most treasured possessions, pieces of art reflecting family's culture and taste, crafts made by women of family. Dark and cluttered according to modern standards. Dining Room: Next most formal room in house. Contained table, chairs and sideboard. Sideboard often most expensive and important piece of furniture in house; used for storage and display of family's dishes and silver (which, due to manufacturing process, middle class could now afford). By 1860s middle and upper classes ate all meals in dining room. Kitchen: Room where most work took place: cooking, canning, washing clothes, bathing, etc. Access to pantry containing shelves and bins for storage. "Modern" conveniences added as they became available, i.e., cast iron stove/range, wooden ice box. Bedrooms: Light and airy compared to more formal rooms. Contained bed; wardrobe (no closets); bureau; and washstand with water pitcher, bowl, soap dish, shaving mug, toothbrush holder and chamber pot. Often large enough to also serve as woman's sitting room. Other Rooms: Presence
of other rooms varied and depended upon wealth and desire of owner.
Possibilities included, but not limited to, back or second parlor
for daily family life, library, music room, etc.
VICTORIAN DECORATING SCHEMES: Decorative elements popular during Victorian Era included:
VICTORIAN FIREPLACE: Middle class cult of the fireplace recognized fireplace with mantel as symbol of "family hearth" Mantel made of wood or marble
Mantels could be simple or ornate depending upon wealth and desire
of owner
VICTORIAN FURNITURE: Improved
mass manufacturing techniques:
Upholstered pieces became more padded and more comfortable as era
progressed; fringe popular
Horsehair upholstery (made from hair from horses' tails) a popular and durable furniture covering
Center table: round table, often with marble top; located
in center of parlor; symbolized center of family life
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