THE ROYALL HOUSE
The types of mansions described in this book are found not only in New
England but through the South. They show marked differences, which give
to them picturesqueness and absence of monotony in build. In studying
these homes, we must remember that master carpenters were steadily
gaining opportunities to brighten their wits by books dealing with
architecture, which were being imported into the colonies. We must also
remember that increase of wealth had brought about more advantages, and
that the nation was demanding better and more elaborate homes.
With change in exterior came a corresponding one in the interior.
Transatlantic ideas were incorporated in the newer homes. There came a
progress in the interior finish, showing artistic staircases, colonial
windows, and hand-carving in mantel and cornice. Thus was introduced a
new and lasting development along architectural lines.
With the larger houses many features of the original ones were
discarded. There was no longer the wide central chimney around which the
rooms clustered. We find no longer in the chimney-places bricks set in
clay, and lathes split from logs, but better and more lasting work. The
wood commonly used in these old houses was white pine, which is not so
common to-day, although there is nothing more lasting.
Unfortunately, not many of these mansions have survived, many having
fallen into decay and disappeared. There are, however, enough left to
aid the growth of colonial ideas in twentieth century homes.
One of these houses that deserves more than passing notice stands on
Main Street in Medford, Massachusetts, "a house within a house," and is
called the Royall house. It is the only building standing on this land,
which is known as "The Ten Hills Farm." This estate, with additional
grounds, was granted to Governor Winthrop in 1631, and as early as 1637
the homestead lot was set apart and walled in. Not long afterward we
find that tenants and employees of the governor were located here, the
Royall house being one of their places of abode.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXVIII.--The Royall House, Medford, Mass.]
The original mansion, which was two and a half stories in height, was
much plainer and smaller than is the present one. Since its erection it
has been raised one story, and the present house has been made to
enclose the original structure. Among the old houses that are still
standing, few have the dignity and stateliness of this mansion, and its
roof has sheltered some of the most important men and women connected
with our country's history.
The estate is situated on the western side of the main road of what was
then known as Mead's Ford, from which the town of Medford derived its
name. It was owned by John Winthrop between 1641 and 1645, becoming the
property of his son, John Winthrop, Jr., after this period. It was
purchased of the Winthrops by Mrs. Elizabeth Lidgett, who made it over
to her son Charles. He, however, being an adherent of Andros, was
ordered to leave the province, together with the unpopular governor.
The house at that time was two and one half stories in height, with
dormer windows in the attic. There were two rooms on each floor, and the
dimensions over all were eighteen by forty-five feet, the west, north,
and south walls being of brick.
Lieutenant-governor John Usher, brother-in-law of Colonel Lidgett, came
into possession of the house through the entanglement of its owner in
lawsuits. During his possession he enlarged it by building a lean-to on
the west side, leaving the original brick wall to form a partition
between the eastern and western rooms.
By careful inspection of this brick work on the south side of the
building, one can follow the original outline of the gable end. There is
a little window in the lean-to, differing in finish from the two others
above it and yet not in line with them. This directs the attention to
the second period in the evolution of this historic mansion.
Lieutenant-governor Usher was Councilor and Treasurer of Massachusetts
under Andros. He married the daughter of Peter Lidgett, and later on
married for a second wife the daughter of George Allen, who bought the
New Hampshire grants from the heirs of Mason. This home on the Mystic
was a favorite resort of the Tories but the last of the governor's life
was surrounded by business troubles and lawsuits, in which he was most
unsuccessful. In fact, before his death, he put his farm out of his own
control, the deed to be returned to his widow at the time of his death.
In 1732, nine years later, Isaac Royall, who owned a large plantation in
Antigua in the Leeward Islands, a man of considerable means, purchased
the estate, and it has since borne his name. At the time of its purchase
it embraced five hundred and four and three quarters acres and
twenty-three rods of land, and the house and grounds were bought for
L10,230 10_s._ 9_d._
Isaac Royall was a wealthy man; he brought to the estate twenty-seven
slaves, for whom he paid as head-tax, five pounds each, the slaves
acting as his body servants and coachmen. Immediately work was started
on remodelling the whole building, and it took five years to complete
it. The house was made three stories high throughout. Barns were laid
out; the slave quarters and summer-house were built, and a high wall
enclosed the grounds from the highway. This was broken by a low wall and
a fence that ran directly in front of the house. In those days an
elm-shaded driveway led from the main road to a paved courtyard that was
on the west side of the house, its picturesqueness enhanced by
flower-bordered walks that reached from the mansion on the west to the
summer-house, and on the east to the road.
The house was clapboarded on the north side, panelled and embellished
with hand-carving, on the garden side, while the street front was not
greatly changed. It is to-day in fine repair and probably contains the
only slave quarters to be found in Massachusetts. There is still to be
seen in the interior the original fireplace where the slaves did their
cooking; the brick portion of this was built in 1732, while the wooden
part is much older. An arch of masonry underneath the fireplace is one
of the largest in existence and is used as a support for this portion of
the building.
At the west of the house is an extensive courtyard with a foundation of
cobblestones. Here, in olden days, Royall's chariot, the only one north
of Boston, with four horses, would come rolling up to the side door to
leave the guests. This led to the erroneous idea that the western side
of the house was the front.
The Royalls were descended from William Royall, who came to Salem with
Governor Craddock; during the time he lived here it was a rallying place
for social life, no one of importance riding by without alighting. It
was the scene of many a merrymaking and was the show place of the town.
At the end of the garden was the summer-house that is still carefully
treasured, being octagonal in shape, with carved pilasters, bell-shaped
roof, and cupola surmounted by a winged Mercury that swings with the
breeze, and was used as a weather-vane. This figure is a fine piece of
carving that stands nearly five feet high. The summer-house stood on an
artificial mound, within which was a walled cellar which was entered by
a trap-door, adding great mystery to the structure. Tradition states
that this was a prison for slaves, but it is more practical if less
romantic to believe that it was used for storage purposes. This
summer-house, with its arched windows and the tender sentiments
scratched upon the woodwork, was a pleasant place in all weathers except
the more severe.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXIX.--Doorway, Royall House.]
The architecture of the house is interesting. The doorway on the east is
the true entrance door, showing Corinthian columns, while the Georgian
porch at the west, supporting Ionic columns, is also considered a fine
bit of architecture.
There can be but little doubt that a house showing the dignity of
exterior of the Royall house must have equally good interior woodwork.
One realizes before opening the colonial door that he will see inside a
fine old staircase, richly carved newel-post and balusters. The carving
in this house as well as others of its type is not confined to the
capitals that adorn its architraves.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXX.--Hallway from the Rear, Royall House.]
The long hallway extends the entire length of the house, with doors at
either end. The stairway is on the eastern side facing the entrance, and
is approached through an arch showing fine hand-carving. The balusters
are carved in three different designs, while the newel-post is a
combination of the three, one carved within the other. The staircase
leads by low treads to the second-story floor. It is made under the old
stair-builders' rule:
"Twice the rise plus the tread equals twenty-five,
Then cut on the string."
There is no stucco work either in the hallway or in any other part of
the house, and the wood throughout is pine.
At the right of the hallway are double parlors, the western one being
finished in wood which shows wonderful hand-carving done in 1732, and is
lighted by arched windows. The outside shutters remain just as they were
all through the lower part of the house when remodelled. The fireplace
is finished in old Mulberry Dutch tiles and contains Hessian andirons,
which differ from those generally seen in that they face each other.
These andirons came into vogue just after the Revolution and were used
to support backlogs.
The eastern parlor is reached through folding-doors, which mask the
original walls of the Winthrop House. These rooms, during the Royalls'
reign, were used for many social events. The old wing arm-chair with
Dutch legs came in about 1750. The silk-embroidered, Chippendale
fire-screen shows beautiful, mythological pictures, while the old,
steeple-topped brass andirons display to advantage the Mulberry tiles of
1847 and also the quaint old fireback. On the wall hangs a picture of
Isaac Royall, who gave money to Harvard College to found the Royall
Professorship of Law which was the foundation of the Harvard Law School.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXXI.--Spinning Room, Royall House.]
During the life history of the house, nineteen marriages have taken
place in these rooms, one of them being that of the oldest daughter,
Elizabeth Royall, to Sir William (Sparhawk) Pepperrell. Here also
Penelope Royall married Henry Vassall of Cambridge, uncle of the builder
of the Longfellow House and of Christ Church. Vassall and his wife are
the only ones buried under the church. It was during their life here
that Agnes Surriage, according to Abigail Adams' diary, came to the
house frequently with Henry Frankland.
The dining-room which is opposite the double parlors is at the present
time being restored to the Royall period and will include much of the
rare old panelling and fine hand-carving that are shown all through the
house, as well as quaint closets.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXXII.--Kitchen Fireplace, Royall House.]
The kitchen contains many old relics. Among them is the Porter sign
which was used in Medford Square in 1769, on the Royall Oak Tavern. The
New Hampshire soldiers had such an intense feeling against the English
sign that before the battle of Bunker Hill they fired against it in
anger, the bullet marks being still plainly seen. In this kitchen, also,
is kept the first fork in the colony, brought over by Governor Winthrop,
also candle-dips made over one hundred and twenty-five years ago by the
old process of taking wicks of twine and dipping them in fat in a cold
room.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXXIII.--Chambers in the Royall House.]
The chambers are, many of them, most interesting. Several of them show
quaint tiles. One of them, the northeast chamber, has a wonderful old
fireplace with sixty ancient Bible tiles, many of them original. These
depict different scenes in Bible stories, such as Cain slaying his
brother with his left hand, the whale and Jonah, Mary and Joseph
fleeing into Egypt.
The southeast chamber shows a great deal of the old Winthrop panelling.
This was transferred when Royall reconstructed the building. Here, as in
the northeast chamber, are wonderful old tiles, the Royall house
boasting more of the best specimens of that early period than any other.
Everywhere through the house we find indications of the luxury
introduced by the wealthy Royalists. All of the rooms are large, with
high ceilings and wide windows showing inside shutters. The hand-carving
is especially noticeable, being beautifully done and most original in
design.
In the guest room, or marble chamber as it is generally known, cornices
or moldings are exquisitely carved. There is one panelling over the
fireplace that is three feet wide and five feet long, while the
thickness of the walls is shown by the width of the window-seats. Each
window is enclosed in an alcove, and some of them retain the original
glass.
It is said of Isaac Royall, second, that his love of display and his
liking for good things were known throughout the town. He was one of
the most hospitable citizens, giving the finest of dinners to his
friends, the Vassalls, who occupied the Craigie House, the Olivers, and
other citizens of Tory Row, besides dignitaries of Church and State. His
wines were the best, his horses and carriages the most stylish, and it
was said of him that he was one of the most eccentric men in the colony.
He kept a journal describing minutely every incident and every visitor,
even going so far as to tell what slippers he wore. His ambitions were
political, but he was never very prominent.
At the outbreak of the Revolution, Isaac Royall left the house, and his
estate was taken under the Confiscation Act. Finding that the place was
deserted by a hated Tory, it was made a lawful retreat for the
Continental army, and used by Colonel John Stark for headquarters. He
lived there with his officers, and his regiment was quartered near by.
In the old summer-house were held many councils of war, and from here
the troops went forth to fight at the battle of Bunker Hill.
During the time that General Stark and his wife lived here, which was
over a year, they entertained a great deal. Molly was a most loyal wife.
At the time of the evacuation of Boston, it was said that she went to
the top of the stairs leading to the roof above the attic after her
husband had marched to Dorchester Heights, and watched to see whether
the British ships in the harbor landed troops on the north side of the
Mystic. In such an event, she had orders to alarm the people.
Lee and Sullivan were quartered here for a short time. The fine old
wines left by Colonel Royall did service for the officers. The cellar
was ransacked in search of goodies; the soldiers, in oddly designed
uniforms, passed up and down, stacking their guns in the wide hall,
while their flag of thirteen stars fluttered over the entrance.
After the government took possession of the property, it was returned to
the Royall heirs in 1790, and they in turn sold it to a syndicate.
In 1810 Jacob Tidd came into possession of the estate, his wife living
there for fifty-one years. She was Ruth Dawes, sister of William Dawes,
who took the midnight ride to Concord, April 18, 1775. Her bedchamber,
in which hangs a picture of William Dawes, has been restored by her
descendants.
The house has been acquired by the Royall House Association, being used
to-day for patriotic and educational purposes. In a closet of one of
the rooms is shown a tea-chest, the only one left from the memorable
Boston Tea Party. Few houses in colonial history possess the interest of
this one, and the Royall House stands unique and distinctive among the
many colonial houses of the period.