Experience a Victorian Christmas at the Gibson House

Step back in time into the extravagant and carefully preserved Boston residence of a wealthy widow, decorated elegantly for the holidays

December 22, 2012
Comment11
Click "Embed" to display an article on your own website or blog.
Join us this holiday season on a virtual visit to the Gibson House Museum and experience traditional family life in Boston's affluent Back Bay neighborhood at the end of the 19th century. The home was built in 1859 by Boston architect Edward Clarke Cabot for Catherine Hammond Gibson, the widow of a merchant who made his fortune in the sugar trade — she was one of very few women to own a house in this area. Most of the rooms in this carefully preserved home, still filled with the Gibson family's original furniture and personal possessions, are decorated for the holidays, brimming with historical ambience.

Location: 137 Beacon Street, Boston
Hours: Guided tours are offered Wednesday through Sunday at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Cost: $9 adults; $6 students and seniors, $3 children under 12
Victorian Entry by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
In the 1800s the visitors' entry in typical Back Bay row homes was on the side. But here visitors step into a grand and lavishly decorated space. The dark furniture, black walnut woodwork and dim lights were designed to impress and intimidate visitors.
Traditional Hall by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
Embossed and gilded wallpaper in the entryway, called Japanese leather, imitates the expensive leather wall coverings that were popular at the time.
Traditional Dining Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
At 2 p.m. each day, the Gibson family would gather in the first-floor dining room for their main meal of the day — a 12-course formal event.
Traditional Dining Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The dining room has been done up for a Christmas meal with green and red china, a decorated mantel and fruits on a serving table. The family china sits on display in a corner.

Soot and smoke from the shallow coal furnace and gas lighting have greatly subdued the original bright gold wall coverings.
Traditional Dining Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The mantel in the dining room is lavishly decorated with fruit and evergreens. This amazing house is like a time capsule, remaining intact for the past 150 years, with plenty of evidence of what life was like during the mid-1800s.
Traditional Dining Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The dining room's view is of a back alley that originally ran along the rear of Boston's Back Bay townhouses. Lace curtains would have been hung to block the view yet let in light.
by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The butler's pantry, in utilitarian oak, was used by servants to stage meals for presentation in the dining room. The back door opens to the servants' staircase, which went from the top to the bottom of the home. A guest would typically never see this area.

The pantry has a dumbwaiter for lifting food up from the basement kitchen, a speaking tube system to speak with those in the kitchen, storage cabinets, wooden counters and a copper sink. The softness of the copper lessened dishwashing noises, which would have disturbed the Gibsons and their guests.
Traditional Staircase by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The servants' staircase has 94 steps.
Traditional Home Theater by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The music room is styled after a French salon. This is where the family gathered for tea parties, music recitals and evening entertainment. The light color palette came about in the 1880s, when dark woods and colors went out of favor. This is the only room in the house with a hardwood floor; the rest are made with pine wide boards.

The French wallpaper has a thin layer of mica to imitate silk.
Traditional Family Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
Traditional Family Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
In Victorian times men and women parted for a period of time after a big dinner party to digest. The men would file into the library and smoke cigars, and the ladies would go to the salon to listen to the children play the piano. The butterfly grand piano (previous two photos) is by Boston piano company Mason & Hamlin.

Fresh greens, large pine cones and seasonal berries adorn the mantel (previous photo). A tree set in the bay window bathes in natural light.
Traditional Home Theater by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The music room opens into the hallway, with a view of the library beyond. This floor was called the parlor floor; it has a layout typical of most homes in this neighborhood at the time.
Traditional Living Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
Portraits of almost all the Gibsons who lived in the house hang in the library — starting with Catherine Gibson, who commissioned the house; son Charles; and his wife, Rosamond.

Rosamond's grandfather, John Collins Warren, was a prominent surgeon who founded Massachusetts General Hospital and the first surgeon to perform an operation on a patient under ether.

A portrait of Rosamond and Charles' son, Charles, Jr., hangs above the mantel. He worked to preserve the house as a musem.
Traditional Home Office by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
Men would conduct afternoon business in the library and gathered to smoke cigars after dinner in their formal attire. Casual attire was unheard of in a Back Bay parlor.
Traditional Living Room by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
A simple gold Christmas tree decorates a table in the library.
Traditional Home Office by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
Traditional Home Office by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The floor above the parlor floor in Back Bay homes contains the master bedroom suite. Husbands and wives maintained separate bedrooms due to propriety and the luxury of privacy. Originally a bedroom, this room has been made over into a study.
Traditional Bedroom by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The bedroom has 157 matching pieces of bird's-eye maple, including the curtain rods. They are all carved to resemble bamboo, in a popular style of the time known as Japanesque.
Victorian Bedroom by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
Rosamond ran the house from this room when she and Charles lived there: hiring and firing servants, planning meals, managing the family’s correspondence and figuring out decoration schemes. Hand cranks on either side of the bed pull wires in the walls to ring the kitchen for service.
Traditional Bathroom by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The master bath sits between the bedrooms and still has plumbing fixtures from 1902. This floor of the house had cold running water in 1859; hot water was brought up by the servants.
Traditional Kitchen by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The kitchen and the laundry room are in the home's basement. The massive coal stove, made in 1884, made this the warmest room in the house in the winter. Two call-bell systems are above the door.
Traditional Kitchen Traditional Kitchen
The windows look into the backyard, which was mostly used as a loading dock for bringing supplies into the home.
Traditional by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
A female servant came into the house one day a week to do the laundry in this room. The room is equipped with a soapstone sink, a manual washing machine with a mangle, and a pair of rollers that press water out of the clothes. A cauldron for boiling linens and making soap, and a potbellied stove for heating irons, complete this workhorse of a room.
Traditional Exterior by Mary Prince Photography
Mary Prince Photography
The brownstone's steps and first-story facade look much like those of Manhattan homes built during this period. However, red brick was more traditionally found in Boston architecture.
Comment11
Shop Related Categories
Holiday Lighting Holiday Lighting Wreaths & Garlands Wreaths & Garlands Holiday Dinnerware Holiday Dinnerware Holiday Drinkware Holiday Drinkware Outdoor Holiday Decorations Outdoor Holiday Decorations Christmas Ornaments Christmas Ornaments
Sponsored
Fresh Pointe Studio
4 Reviews
Industry Leading Interior Designers & Decorators | Delaware County, OH
We design, build and renovate in the most exquisite of fashions. Our team of revolutionaries is dedicated to... Read More
Sponsored

News From Our Partners

Related Products

24" Amaryllis Wreath
24" Amaryllis Wreath
$98
22" Spring Floral Wreath
22" Spring Floral Wreath
$88
20" Veranda Garden Wreath
20" Veranda Garden Wreath
$83
Vickerman 12" Ball Wreath, Silver
Vickerman 12" Ball Wreath, Silver
$41
Christmas Stocking Hanger Hook Holder Mantel Cork Heavy Rustic Farmhouse
Christmas Stocking Hanger Hook Holder Mantel Cork Heavy Rustic Farmhouse
$28
40" Starburst Ornament With Gold Glitter
40" Starburst Ornament With Gold Glitter
$65
Comments (11)
See 8 more comments
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
User
Truly a feast for the eyes and a real education on craftsmanship. Thank you for the tour, Mary.
   
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
Paulina V.
It's a lovely home. Reminds me of my late grandmother's place in Helsinki, Finland (periodically featured in magazines around the holidays, too). The biggest difference being, that the fireplaces in Northern European homes were more efficient heaters, so it would have been cozier all over before centralized heating was added. :)
   
Thank you for reporting this comment. Undo
judi7547
The beautiful wood mouldings , high ceilings, staircase, and windows remind me so much of the house I grew up in. Ours was not grand but reflected the architectural styled of the day similar to this one. Thank you bringing it to us.
   

Related Stories

Christmas My Houzz: Christmas Traditions in an 1850s New York Farmhouse
By Rikki Snyder
Fresh greens, plaid patterns and cheerful holiday touches give this glassware artist’s home a warm and festive feel
Full Story
Most Popular Experience the Holidays at Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio
By Cynthia Lynn
Handmade decorations, greenery and gifts show how the famed architect and his family celebrated Christmas in their Oak Park home
Full Story
Events A Celebration of Design at Holiday House NYC 2014
By Rikki Snyder
The New York City fundraiser, open through December 21, showcases holiday-themed rooms by 23 designers
Full Story
Holidays Brave Decorating Ideas From the NYC Holiday House
By Rikki Snyder
A good cause and daring design go hand in hand at a Manhattan mansion, with plenty of inspiration for all
Full Story
Holidays The DeGolyer House Dons Its Christmas Finery
By Sarah Greenman
Ornate holiday decorations make this historic Dallas estate, including a hacienda-style mansion and gardens, even more of an eyeful
Full Story
Decorating Guides 7 Salem Homes Say 'Happy Holidays' With Floral Splendor
By Mary Prince
Abundant displays by local floral designers ring in the holidays for these historic seaside homes in Massachusetts
Full Story
Christmas 4 Home Tour Dazzlers Offer Holiday Decor Inspiration
By Janet Paik
Local designers offer holiday takes from minimalist to traditional, with fresh colors, artful arrangements and even reusable decor
Full Story
Christmas New York's Wilderstein House Dresses Up for Christmas
By Rikki Snyder
See how local designers have transformed this historic Queen Anne–style home with stunning holiday displays
Full Story
Decorating Guides Over-the-Top Sophistication in a Holiday Show House
By Janet Paik
Decadently designed rooms for all seasons and purposes create showstopping displays in a Manhattan mansion
Full Story
| ABOUT | CAREERS | MOBILE APPS | PROFESSIONALS | BUTTONS | BRANDS | SELL | Terms |
Privacy & Notice
Houzz Inc. © 2024