THE PARLOR in a home was often a room set aside in a home for special guests and events, likes wakes or mourning rituals, and was off limits to day-to-day use. It later became known as a LIVING ROOM as it became more integrated into family life and provided family entertainment.

Our 1920’s room has a wind-up phonograph just inside the door called a Graphonola; it’s very much like the Victrola that became very popular. These machines were the first that let people listen to recorded music right in their homes. The louvered doors on the front are the volume control: open the louvers, you get more sound, close them and you get less sound. Simple!

The large horn is connected to an Atwater Kent three-dial radio. Early radios could only be heard with earphones by one person at a time, but with the horn speaker, whole families could listen to the news and other programs. The steam radiator provides the only heat in the room.

The picture hanging on the wall to the left is a lithograph print of a painting titled “Afterglow” by artist Byron Newton. It is suspended by a cord from a tasseled hook hanging on brown picture molding to avoid putting nails in the walls, especially in rooms having high ceilings. Items could easily be moved or changed without damaging the wall or wallpaper. The heavy coverings draped over the back of the sofa are used as door covers to keep out drafts in the winter.

The pillars on the porch came from a house at 505 W. Cass St. when it was remodeled years ago. The siding on the building and the old window casing were taken from the Greenville Glove Factory when it was torn down. It was built in 1905 at the foot of east Cass St. The beautiful beveled plate glass in the heavy front door adds a touch of elegance.