The small house furnishings of the 1900's were not ostentatious, but practical in their beauty and function. As the Victorian period predates the turn of the century, the furnishings are in keeping with the era. Some pieces are Victorian, some Craftsman.

Living Room

In the front of the bay window is a Mission style Morris chair with the original leather, but showing signs of its age. The wheels on the chair are also an indication of age as they possibly made the heavier furniture styles easier to move. The Lile family donated the table that sits in front of the window holding the wooden horn Victorola, an original RCA Victor product with the familiar photo of Nipper listening for "His Master's Voice." The Buckingham family donated this unique Victorola. The tall bookcase with vertical glass doors and extended bottom drawer, typical of the period, contains many artifacts, one of which is a photo of local author Vingie Row who wrote Western stories. The hat she is wearing in the photo is owned by the museum and often on display with the photo. Next to the bookcase rests a large leather-covered settee donated by the Orange City Silva Hotel where it was once used. The pump organ (non functional) once belonged to the old Catholic church located on the corner of Broad and Main. The church no longer exists as it has since burned down. The sofa, an example of late Victorian style, is on loan to the museum by our member Louise Morris. Above the sofa are two oil paintings by Charles Shaw, son of Isaac Shaw, one of the original owners of the house. The round scenic picture is a typical example of art of this period and was donated from the estate of Myrtle Grundall along with the table where rests an old album and a steroptican that holds dual pictures for depth of viewing. Behind the front door is series of watercolors by Dennis Holler that depict some of the old homes and buildings of the area. To the right of the sofa is a large decorative wood framed portrait of Madam Preston, a local healer and head of a religious health commune in Preston just north of Cloverdale by the Russian River. The portrait stand is oak and designed in a flowing leaf pattern. Above to the left are two artists renderings of her mansion that once stood on the hillside of Preston Heights. The work in oil is by local artist, Ann Gilles. The watercolor is by N. Burres. To Cloverdale's loss, the mansion burned in June of 1988, fortunately the paintings remain. Yet, the house and the memory of the community of Preston hold our interest. In our research office is the Master of Arts thesis of Holly Hoods documenting the history and development of Madam Preston and her health-oriented religious colony.

Bedroom

The single bed was the only piece of furniture found in the house when the Historical Society purchased the Gould-Shaw estate. The iron crib was donated from the Lile family whose son Bernard slept in it. The metal bound trunk is from the estate of Carol Chase. When we acquired the trunk, it was full of period clothing and linens; many have been on display from time to time. The doll buggy is a Shaw acquisition. The tall chest that matches the dresser 'buffet' in the dinning room is suitable for the bedroom and provides a display space for the vanity set and baby bonnets. The pictures on the walls are typical of the art of the period. The large portrait of the little girl about age five is of Louise Butler. Note the child's classic haircut modeled from the "King Tut" look. The Egyptian style became popular after the discovery of his tomb in 1922. Often with this style, the child wore a large bow to the side giving a piquant expression to the face. The child's dress, a straight, loose cut with large ruffle, represents the era. Also of interest, is the bedroom closet that contains many of the period hats, dresses and other articles of clothing that have been modeled at two of our four fashion shows. The shows were fund raisers held a few years ago.

Dining Room

The dresser, serving as a buffet, matches the one in the bedroom providing a good example of veneered wood finish; donations of the the Grundall estate. They are most likely from the early 1900's. To the right of the 'buffet' is a photo of the first grist mill built by J.H. Bowman. The mill was located at Sulphur Creek where local flour was ground. In the left corner is a photo of the old U.S. Hotel in it's original glory and then a photo of it's faded glory as it too burned in 1947. The bookcases containing vintage cameras, old books and porcelains is a Warneke design and from the estate of Carol Chase, once the mayor of Cloverdale, as her dentist father was before her. The beautiful iron stove before the fireplace dated 1856 was in the home of the adult Louise Butler (the child in the bedroom photo) who lived on West First and Jefferson Streets. Jack Howell, the first president of the Historical Society, used to visit Louise as they sat by the stove to be warmed by its glow. In the corner by the kitchen door is a good example of Bamboo bookcase design, typical of the Victorian era. Sonoma County once hosted many popular resorts that were typically located around the Russian River. A photo of Pop McCray, owner of the most popular resort in this area, is above the three, shelved bookcase with horizontal glass doors, another piece of furniture typical of its era. Above the fireplace is a scenic oil painting centered with a mirror, a fashionable item of the day. The artist is Pauline Brush, member of a prominent Cloverdale family. Also, we have a large painting of a dog by Pauline, but at present are unable to display it.

Kitchen

The old oak storage bin once held grains, crackers, and other items found in the small town grocery stores. It was once used for storage in an old store. Jim and Dot Lam donated the wood-burning iron stove. There are still stoves of this period in Cloverdale. On cold winter mornings one can breathe in the scent given off by these lovely old, wood-burning stoves. The smoke evokes memory of times past, childhood, and other good things. The cupboards and shelves hold many of the items our mothers, grandmothers, and ancestors used for everyday household chores. Imagine making toast or waffles in these apparatuses. Imagine pressing a light cotton blouse with a heavy cast iron warmed first on a wood-burning stove? (And, the wood had to be gathered by hand). Included in our collection is a cherry pitter for canning. Note the old jars and other such objects. In the center of the room is the worktable, a term said with tongue in cheek as it was the life force of the kitchen. A flour bin is under the table and on top is a wooden bowl with meza luna for chopping meats, etc. And on the floor rests two washboards, one is of glass. Imagine doing the family wash in this manner. Life seems simpler today. Or is it? maybe we have replaced one set of labors for another. How many of us sit before the computer all day?

The kitchen houses other items of interest. Note the oak framed clock on the east wall. Manufactured by the Waterbury Clock Company, it once ticked away the hours for the students of the old Washington School in Asti where children of the Italian Swiss Colony winery workers learned English as well as their ABC's. There are still a few of those students around. Ruth Pelligrini, from one of the old Asti, families donated the clock. The painted white chairs, one rocker, maintain the original woven rawhide seats; also from the Butler Estate. We do not know the artist of the still life painting.

Display Room

The two display cases are for items of interest and will change at intervals. We have some Pomo Indian artifacts and it our hope to acquire more, as the they were the first residents of Sonoma County. The Pomo tribes are still active.

Research Center

Open by appointment only, our small research center contains a plethora of information on Cloverdale and the surrounding area. We have photos that predate to the early 1900's, newspaper articles, and the works of local historians. A few of these books are for sale at the museum or available from the local libraries. And as earlier stated, we have the Masters Thesis of Holly Hoods on the development of the Preston religious health commune.

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