National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Resource History and Description of Existing Conditions
In the early Vanderbilt period, the Boot Room would have been used to brush riding or
other sporting clothes after use and for cleaning and polishing riding boots. The clothes rod is
evidence of this original use, as is the name given the room in the housekeeper's key closet. In
later years, the room was used by one of three butlers. 925 It is now an NPS staff break room.
Butler's Room (MM&W: No. 5, Farley: Butler's Room, Curry: No. 1)
The Butler's Room is accessed from the service hall in the southwest corner of the floor
plan, making it the staff room farthest from busy work rooms. It has the baseboard, chair rail,
and picture rail common to service rooms. It has recently been painted blue, and the trim is
painted white. The door has a textured glass window and a frosted glass transom light. Nailing
evidence remains above and below the door window for sheers.
A closet was added to the south wall east of the pier prior to installation of the chair rail.
The room has hardwood floors, a window on the west wall, a radiator under the window, and a
single electric wall sconce on the west wall.
In 1938, the room was furnished with an iron bed, two oak Morris chairs with cotton
seats and backs, and a wash stand, dresser, desk with revolving chair, and a small table all in oak.
A 9' by 12' domestic rug was on the floor. 926 Alfred Martin recalled, "an extension cord was
attached to the [light] fixture and ran under the rug to a lamp on a bedside table used for
reading." 927 He also recalled, "These rooms were occupied by the butler and valet only for two
months in the spring and two months in the fall. When the men were there and had their
personal possessions displayed the rooms had a 'lived in' appearance about them." Martin
suggests that these possessions included books, bookends, ashtrays, and "items of a personal
nature." 928
Second Man's Room (MM&W: No. 4, Farley: Second Man's Room, Curry: No. 2)
The Second Man's Room is just north of the Butler's Room and was essentially identical
to the Butler's Room. Today it is painted cream below the picture rail and white above with
varnished trim. The closet is installed on the east wall.
In 1938, the room contained an iron bed, two small tables, a dresser and a wash stand in
oak, a veneered Morris chair, an oak side chair, a shaving stand with mirror and a 10' by 12'
domestic rug. As in the Butler's Room, Alfred Martin recalled, "an extension cord was attached
to the [light] fixture and ran under the rug to a lamp on a bedside table used for reading." 929 He
also recalled, "These rooms were occupied by the butler and valet only for two months in the
spring and two months in the fall. When the men were there and had their personal possessions
displayed the rooms had a 'lived in' appearance about them." Martin suggests that these
possessions included books, bookends, ashtrays, and "items of a personal nature." 930
925
Snell, "Master Plan Development Outline," 31.
926
Curry Inventory, 105.
927
Martin, Letter, October 1, 1970.
928
Martin, Letter, October 1, 1970.
929
Martin, Letter, October 1, 1970.
930
Martin, Letter, October 1, 1970.
165