A Tour of the Pinchot House:More Stuff I took picutres of and Include on My Tours

The tours I give of Grey Towers include three historic rooms and a few gardens and outbuildings that are on the property. I have already walked you through one of Joe's tours, but I was taking pictures yesterday and decided I would show you all some other things. Some of these things I talk about on my tour, and others are just in the house and I usually only talk about them if people ask.

I always start out by going through the front door and taking people into the Great Hall, which was the first room that anyone would have walked into when they came to the mansion. The front door is actually on the side of the house, and it would be on the left hand side of this photo. Stage coaches would have come up the drive and dropped people off right at the front door.



This is the solid oak front door. Originally Richard Morris Hunt, who was the mansion's architect, wanted there to be French Doors on the house, but James decided to put in this humongous door instead.

The Pinchots were big hunters and fishermen. I stress to people that they were conservationists, not preservationists, and thus, they were ok with hunting. As long as you didn't hunt things to extinction.


I then take people into the library. Here is a neat little ladder that they used in it.


Cornelia's really pretty writing desk. She loved to collect things from Asia. I wish I had one of these.


This is a painting by Alexander Cabanel of Gifford, his mom, and sister.


After I take people through the house we go outside. I show them numerous landscape features including the reflecting pool, at the end of which is the Bait Box. This was a playhouse/teenage hang out for Gifford and Cornelia's son Giffy.