The Upstairs Sitting Room
Less formal than the one downstairs, the upstairs sitting room accommodated children’s study and play. Because the Cappon youngsters were expected to be well educated, much of their time was spent on homework and reading. Younger children enjoyed play time here. While their mother and father entertained visitors downstairs, the young Cappon's could be busily occupied out of the way of guests.
This room, furnished from the museum’s education collection, has been designated a hands-on, public-use area for education programs and visitor hospitality. Chairs and fainting couch may be sat upon; games, photos, and other items in the room can be handled and enjoyed.
Upstairs sitting room (click to enlarge)
Upstairs sitting room furniture
The framed print, “de Oranjeboom” or “The Orange Tree,” a genealogy of the Netherlands’ royal family, is original to this room and is one of the few Dutch objects in the house. The picture, “Beatrice,” a museum acquisition, replaces one by the same name listed in the inventory. The inventory lists only chairs in this room, perhaps placed here at the time of Isaac’s funeral.
"Beatrice"
"de Oranjeboom" or "The Orange Tree"
An original ceiling fixture hangs in the center of the room. The grain painted woodwork was restored in 2002 to copy a never-painted section behind the radiator (only reproduction radiator in the house).
The small display case on the table holds the youngest son, Franklin Cappon’s curls saved from a haircut in 1905. Franklin later became a football player at the University of Michigan and basketball coach at Princeton University. Visit the Cappon Family virtual tour to learn more about Franklin’s life.
Franklin Cappon's curls saved from a haircut in 1905
