Flat Jane Austen in Providence Rhode Island

 Flat Jane Austen in Providence, Rhode Island:
In which Jane pays calls on the elite

June, 18-
My dear friends,

It is nearly time to leave this unusual place and move on to visit other friends. First, though, I pay calls on the neighbors. 

Many of the elite residents of Providence earned their wealth in the China trade. Next door to Mr. John Brown's family lives another Brown, Mr. John Nicholas Brown, Jr, (nephew of Mr. John Brown) and his family. 

Now the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage
at Brown University

The house was built in '91 for Colonel Joseph Nightingale and sits on one acre of land. Mr. Nightingale was a Revolutionary and merchant of the firm Clark & Nightingale. They sold goods from the East Indies, stationary and hardware at their shop at the Sign of the Frying-Pan and Fish. They also made rum which was traded for human flesh.

Side of the house, possibly later addition

back wing, probably later addition

This Mr. Brown is an industrial leader, state representative, co-founder of the Providence Athenaeum and generous donor to Rhode Island College. As such, the college was renamed for him. 

Around the corner is the home of Mr. Edward Carrington, a China Trade merchant and associate of the Brown family. It is of recent construction, only begun in '10 for a Mr. John Corliss, Mr. Joseph Nightingale’s brother-in-law. Construction was interrupted by a series of legal conflicts with Spain. Mr. Corlis ran out of money before the house was completed. He removed to Kentucky to try his hand in tobacco.  

Corlis-Carrington House, a home away from home for community leaders
Be sure to look inside and take a tour to see period inspired furnishings

Mr. Edward Carrington recently returned from duties as American consul in Canton, China. He has married a shipping merchant's daughter, the former Loriana Hoppin. Mr. Carrington's office is located to the side of the house. How... American.

This house at 2 George Street, was built for Mrs. Eliza Ward, daughter of Mr. Joseph Brown, the architect. 'Tis newly built a few years previous in 1814. Mrs. Ward is a widow and lived with her brother until her home was completed. A widow living alone? It is not a truth universally acknowledged that women can not take care of themselves?! It seems as if American ladies are more independent than we are.

Eliza Ward House

The interior is most elegant with ceiling cornices, and elaborate, delicate wood trim. Mrs. Ward enjoys hanging French wallpaper. A particular favorite is Les Rives de Bosphore (Banks of the Bosphorus) printed by Joseph Dufour. It is rather... loud, much like the French.

Susanna's family home is located near Planet Street, named for the Transit of Venus and the previously mentioned Congregational Church. 

Flat Jane at the RI School of Design's Pendelton House

 Charles Pendelton House, a reproduction Federal Era home built for the purpose of displaying the collections of Charles L. Pendleton (1846-1904), given to the RISD Museum in 1904.

editor's note: This building is in actuality at the opposite end of Benefit Street but in keeping with the Federal style, I have placed it with the other grand homes built in Jane's day.

Her family is well connected and her father works for one of the China trade firms.

Reproduction Federal era home

I shall paint a picture with my words to shew you how the inside looks.

Please turn the page

Flat Jane Austen In Providence, Rhode Island

 Flat Jane Austen Visits Providence, Rhode Island:
In which she pays calls on the elite

Editor's Note: All photos taken inside the Rhode Island School of Design Museum's Pendelton House. 

Not all these objects belonged to one family or were displayed at the same time. This is a museum display intended to display the objects in a more natural setting. The museum was free which is why Jane is showing you these rooms and not an actual house museum! 

"The evenings can be a bit chilly so I warmed myself by the fire.

Moving along the hallway, I see a gilded mirror in a very American stile. Can you spy the eagle on top? I am told the Bald Eagle is the national bird and prominently featured on Chinaware and other decorative items. However, this mirror is actually French, in the stile of Napoleon! These Americans greatly admire the French.

Girandole (looking glass)  c. 1805 with acanthus and eagle design from the French empire period

We sit down to dine in this room. Were you aware that prior to  the 90s the Americans did not have separate rooms for dining? These new elegant homes all have dining rooms yet they are not quite as grand or formal as Edward's. Even their portraits are of a recent vintage and less formal than the ones we see in grand dining rooms in England.

Sideboards, knife boxes and cellarets (chests to hold wine bottles) are all new since the 80s. 

Flat Jane in a reproduction Federal Era dining room.

This room is furnished in the Neoclassical stile. The furniture is rather delicate rather than the ornate Rococo pieces favored in colonial times. I see Hepplewhite furniture in this room including the dining table to your left. 

Mrs. Allin displays many pieces of Chinese export porcelain in her dining room.

Mahogany and pine sideboard and punch bowl with Cantonese Hongs ca. 1785-1800

The portraits seem rather different from our own. 

This table is rather modern for an American home. 

Susanna's family has excellent taste. Here, her mother has displayed some good English porcelain from Liverpool, Chelsea, Worcester and Derby. 
The Liverpool Creamware Jug on the top shelf features an image of a ship. The ship's name can be customized, like The Ann & Hope, a ship once owned by Mr. Nightingale's firm. I believe my mother would like to have one with Frank's ship and one with Charles's ship but which to choose?

Mrs. Allin also has a collection of Chinese export porcelain. 

coffee service with seal of United States

Chinese export porcelain 1800s

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In Which I Visit the Browns in 1800

In Which I Visit the Browns in 1800

Imagine it's October, a beautiful Indian summer Saturday in Providence 1800. The Brown family is at home. John Brown, thee family patriarch is a wealthy businessman, merchant and politician. He is currently in Philadelphia in Congress and his son is not home, but the ladies are at home. Besides Mr. Brown, here lives Mrs. Brown. Quaker raised and progressive in her ideas on educating her daughters. Mrs. Brown's unmarried sister stays here too along with the three Brown daughters. Abby, the eldest, is widowed and I'll have to share the toys with her son. Alice, the youngest, is newly married to Mr. Mason. Their baby Abby was born one day after their wedding! The Masons are waiting for their new house to be built. Sally, the middle Brown daughter is hoping her father will finally give his blessing to marry her suitor Mr. Charles Hereshoff. He is from Prussia originally and is in need of occupation. Tradesmen are coming in and out and I heard there is a mantua maker showing off the latest fashions from Paris and a fortune teller with the grown-up ladies telling fortunes. 

I will show you around the house and grounds. (Friend Caroline, take notice.) 

If you want to read a more detailed grown-up account of our visit, go look at my guardian's super boring blog post. 

First, I head downstairs. I peek inside one of the bedrooms - no one here...

I hear the Masons across the hall and the mantua maker showing off fancy Parisian fashions. I'll just sneak behind her and slip downstairs... I hop down the mahogany staircase with beautiful carved railings.

Staircase details.

These posts were turned on a lathe. This is the very latest fashionable design in the 1780s when the house was built.

Here you can see what the house looks like in 1800. It was added on later in the Victorian era and modernized inside in the 1930s. 

I take a peek in the parlor - no fortune teller in here right now but later she told my guardian she could tell my guardian's "character" from her face. The lady said my guardian is independent and something of a free spirit. 

Example of detailed carving found in the house

Ball and claw Chippendale style furniture. This is just a sample. The real thing is amazing! I want a special chair with lion feet!

The grown-up children are experimenting with electricity. Electric parties where people play with static electricity and shock each other are all the rage in Providence. Ouch! It tingles. 

Like Caroline's Papa, Mr. Brown owns ships. His ships were the first from Providence to travel to China in 1787. He brought back some of this beautiful porcelain dishware.

Here are some paintings of the types of ships seen in Providence in the early 19th century.

Some nautical equipment. Caroline isn't the only seafaring American Girl. I'm a New Englander and when I'm time traveling, my life is tied to the sea. 

I stop and grab a snack of ginger cookies. Mmm just like Caroline's grandmother bakes. 

Then I head outside into the sunshine and play with my hoop for a little while.

This is John Brown's chariot. I'm going to take it and drive to New York and sail off to visit Caroline. I hope you enjoyed my adventure in 1800. 

                                       

Oops I didn't make it very far into the future - only another generation.

Guess that means I'll see you in the 1840s next? Bye for now!