Gardner-Pingree House 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts part 2

Gardner-Pingree House 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts

In August of 2009 I toured one of the finest Federal period homes in America. The Gardner-Pingree House in Salem, Massachusetts. Built by John Gardner and his wife Sarah in 1804 during Salem's most prosperous era, this elegant Federal red brick town house is widely admired in the published history of American architecture for its imposing but balanced and restrained brick facade. It remains the finest surviving example of the many Federal style houses built in Salem between 1793 and 1825. The house features a central hall plan, five-bay facade arrangement with central front door. The symmetry of the earlier Georgian style is retained. The lavish interior and exterior wood ornamentation were designed and carved by Salem's master builder and carver, Samuel McIntire, at the height of his powers. whose innate sense of proportion and attention to decorative detail make him one of the most celebrated architects of the early Republic.




The house showcases some of the most outstanding examples of McIntire's woodcarving, including the Corinthian capitals on the semicircular portico with semi-elliptical or semi-circular fanlight with flanking sidelights (which were original covered with 22 caret gold leaf) and the neoclassical ornaments on the mantels, doorframes, and Federal furniture of the magnificent double parlor. The Federal style was known for it's simplicity and lightness of detail. Much more refined than the heavier Georgian style.



The Gardner-Pingree House should actually be called the Gardner-West-White-Pingree House as the house was sold in 1811 to Nathaniel West when John Gardner had some financial difficulties. Three years later, West sold the house to Captain Joseph White, a wealthy, retired merchant and slave trader. White had boasted to Salem minister William Bentley in 1788 that he had “no reluctance in selling any part of the human race.” White lived in the house with a manservant and his niece, Mrs, Beckford, who worked as his housekeeper and who had a daughter that lived in Wenham, Massachusetts and was married to Joseph J. Knapp, Jr. The house was the site of the notorious 1830 murder of Capt. Joseph White, whose death prompted a famous trial prosecuted by Daniel Webster. The trial inspired Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. To read about the murder go here A Murder in Salem .



The house is owned by the Peabody Essex Museum as part of the Essex Institute, and is open for guided tours. It features 18th and early 19th century furnishings. The house museum showcases how the upper crust lived in early 19th century America. Today we are touring the Hall, office/study, kitchen, china closet, and two bedrooms. Not that most of the rooms have costly imported wool wall to wall carpets. Although the carpets are reproductions they are made on looms that the originals were made on in England. During this period the rich were able to have wall-to-wall carpeting. Carpets were woven in widths of 27 inches, then they had to be stitched together by hand. Also not the bright colors of the carpets and busy patterns. The Federalist were not afraid of color and pattern. The furniture in theses rooms are made in Boston and Salem by Thomas Seymour and Salem's golden boy Samuel McIntire. The last bedroom is the bedroom where the notorious 1830 murder of Capt. Joseph White tuck place. Sorry my photo's are poor no flash photography allowed in the house

Gardner-Pingree House 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts

Gardner-Pingree House 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts

The central hall makes a elegant statement showing off it mint green walls. Green was the most expensive paint you could buy during this period as it was made from Verdigris dust scraped off of copper. Also note the painted floor cloth painted to look like a green and black marble tile floor.

Detail of arch in hall carved by Samuel McIntire

Detail of shaft of wheat carved by Samuel McIntire in hall. This motif of wheat was a used often by Samuel Mclntire

Shafts of wheat were popular in America during this period as we can see it on a coin silver spoon handle

Back of hall looking into the dinning room

Beautiful carving staircase

China closet

Kitchen, Who said Federalist were afraid of color  

Birdcage in kitchen

 Office/study

Upstairs bedroom note Beautiful half circle Federal commode made by Thomas Seymour of Boston.

The Federal bed is also made by Thomas Seymour of Boston.

The bedroom where the site of the notorious 1830 murder of Capt. Joseph White

The white and gold leafed trimmed bed was made by Samuel Mclntire note the golden Shafts of wheat 

Dressing table with Chinese export dressing mirror on stand would have been the type of luxury items shipped to Salem

Gold leaf & cream colored Massachusetts made Federal period fancy chair

Beautiful cream colored Massachusetts made Federal period fancy chairs with a wish stand with hidden chamber pot

This room is very light and airy with it's Summer dress white muslin window treatment

America's first yacht, Cleopatra's Barge 1816

1818 painting of Clepatra's Barge by George Ropes

Benjamin Crowninshield Jr. (1782–1864)Benjamin Crowninshield Jr. (1782–1864)

Cleopatra's Barge was the first American-built ocean-going luxury yacht, built in the year 1816 in Salem, Massachusetts for George Crowninshield Jr. (1766–1817), The fancy of America's 2th generation of wealth after the American Revolution. The 191-ton brig was 23-feet breadth, 83-feet waterline length, 140-feet sparred length, with a square stern, and two decks. Retire Becket designed her as a pleasure yacht for George Crowninshield and was fitted out in the grand style of a small palace at a cost of $50,000 to build and $50,000 in luxury furnishings, about three millions in today's money. A year ago this month I was in the reconstructed main cabin of the yacht in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem.

reconstructed main cabin of the yacht

                                                      Reconstructed main cabin of the yacht

 Named after Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII's pleasure barge and based on a play "Antony & Cleopatra". In 1817, the luxury yacht Cleopatra's Barge was launched and sailed to 16 ports in southern Europe and the Mediterranean . Up to 8,000 visitors would come out on a single day, just to feast their eyes on the opulent splendor of this extraordinary vessel. In Marseilles the ship was repainted and redecorated.


The design of the vessel was based upon Becket’s earlier design of the privateer America IV built for the Crowninshields in 1803. She was constructed with the finest craftsmanship and materials available and outfitted with fine furnishings in the late Federal and neo-classical styles with all the accoutrements of royalty. George Crowninshield’s intention was to sail her to Europe with the hope of marrying a European princess and hosting Napoleon himself on board and becoming the toast of the continent. By the time the yacht sailed former Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte was exiled on Saint Helena island. It was thought that Mr. Crowninshield was planning to take former Emperor Napoléon back to America. They did visit several of Napoleon's supporters and relatives on the island of Elba where Napoléon had escaped in 1815. In Rome they met with Napoleon's mother Letizia Ramolino, and siblings Prince Lucien and Princess Pauline. They took on board the captain of the ship on which Napoleon escaped Elba and his doctor, along with souvenirs such as a pair of Napoléon's boots and an gold & stone incrusted imperial snuffbox. Mr. Crowninshield returned home that year only to die unexpectedly the following year aboard the ship planning his next adventure.

Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte

The finest room on the yacht the main cabin it was 19 feet by 20 feet and was paneled with the finest flamed mahogany wood trimmed with birds-eye maple. The Custom made mahogany and birds-eye maple classical furniture, a pair of card tables and large pair of settees by Boston's finest cabinetmaker Thomas Seymour was covered with red silk velvet trimmed in gold lace. They featured inlayed birds-eye maple,brass, gilt ormolu mounts, stenciled gold leaf detail and the lyre or harp as the principal decorative element and were the most expensive made in America at the time. The settees have hooks upon the back legs that were probably to hold the settee to the wall in bad weather. There was custom made silver, porcelain, linens and cut glass for this vessel. Rare for this time the luxury yacht had indoor plumbing. In December of 1816 the yacht was open for public tours as this was a wonder in America, a show palace. On January 14, 1817, the Salem Gazette reported:

"The elegant equipment of this vessel, by Mr. Crowninshield, for a voyage of pleasure, as it is an entire novelty in this country, has excited universal curiosity and admiration."

English Regency gilt brass whale oil chandelier

Open card table by Thomas Seymour

Gold leaf mirror and card table by Thomas Seymour

Large settee by Thomas Seymour

Detail of gilt ormolu, birds-eye maple inlay and gold stenciling on the mahogany

Detail of gilt ormolu, birds-eye maple inlay on the mahogany

                                                   After his death, China traders purchased the vessel. They brought her to the Sandwich Islands in 1821 where she was sold to Liholiho (King Kamehameha II) for $80,000 of sandalwood. The Hawaiian wood was highly prized in the Orient by the Chinese artisans for its clear grain, texture, and sweet smell. Liholiho cherished the yacht and renamed her Ha'aheo o Hawaii (Pride of Hawaii) and thus she became the first Hawaiian “Ship of State.” The royal court traveled frequently aboard her as they sailed between the islands and foreign visitors often mentioned the King’s brig in their diaries and letters to friends. On April 6, 1824 in Hanalei Bay, on the northern coast of Kauaʻi island Haʻaheo o Hawaiʻi ran the aground on a shallow reef.
 

Paris porcelain Cabinet cup that might have been bought in Marseilles when ship was redecorated

     French pier table and ormolu clock in the corner that might have been bought in Marseilles when ship was redecorated