William Pitcher Farmstead HSR

ROOM 103, ENTRY HALL/STAIR and ROOM 104, BATHROOM
Description: The configuration of the center hall is due to the installation of a
bathroom sometime in the second half of the 20th century. Originally, this space
would have been the west end of the east room. The jambless fireplace was positioned
on the west wall, where the doorway to 102 is now. A ghost of the crown of the
jambless fireplace smoke hood is visible on a post within the stair area (photo 203-1). In
the renovation circa 1775, the anchor beam (IV) to the east of the central chimney
was cut out, as were the trimmer beams on either side of the chimney. The ends of
these are visible where they were cut off in their mortises (photo 203-2) Lighter framing
members were installed in the ceiling between anchor beams III and V. Flooring above
was installed running north-south, in contrast to the rest of the house. At this time, a
staircase was added at the rear of the hall, on the west wall, where previously there
had likely been a ladder or very steep enclosed stair to the garret. This staircase would
have risen toward the north side to a landing and then turned to the east, based on the
what can be observed in the flooring above, and in other local examples such as the
Palatine Farmstead. To allow for the installation of the bathroom, the stairs above the
landing were turned to the west and three feet from the northern end of anchor bent V
was cut out to make room for the steps. In order to create the center hall, anchor
bent III was shifted approximately 2’ to the east. The center hall is 10’ wide and,
before the insertion of the bathroom, was 24’ deep. On the south wall is the main
entry, a door more than 3’ wide and approximately 86” tall, hung with strap hinges as
evidenced by the top pintel, which remains in place, and flanked by 6/6 single-hung
sidelights (photo 203-4) The bottom pintel, still visible, is below the level of the flooring.
The west and east walls each have a doorway into 102 and 105 respectively. As it is
now, the entry hall is 10’ wide and 14’ deep. The flooring is 1”x10” pine laid on top of
“2-by” sleepers, linoleum, at least one layer of plywood, and finally the original flooring.
The walls, south, east and west are plaster over riven lath.
Entering through the main door, which is metal-clad, colonial-style, straight ahead are
two flat-panel hollow-core doors that swing into the entry room. The door on the left
opens to the stairs (photo 203-6). The door on the right opens onto the bathroom. This
wall is vertically-installed, 20th-century, 1/4” thick bead-board strips, except for the
area over the door that opens to the stairs. This area is drywall suggesting that the
stairs were enclosed before the bathroom was created.
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