West Wall

Servants' Lavatory

The 1880 census indicates a household staff of seven resident servants, six of them female and most of them Irish immigrants. The kitchen would have been the hub of these servants’ activities, with central attention to the preparation of the family’s afternoon meal. The central fixture of the kitchen is the brick-set cast-iron range, which dates from 1884. In addition to cooking all of the food required, the stove also heated the water supply through a system of coils beneath the range that circulated water.

Above the door to the hallway is the original set of call bells, each with a different tone. They were connected by an elaborate systems of wires, levers and pulleys to the rooms on the first to fourth floors. In addition, there was a speaking tube connecting the kitchen pantry to the butler's pantry, above. This allowed for communication regarding the operation of the dumbwaiter which brought food up to the butler's pantry.