Fall 2019

The couple had three children,
James W. Hunter, Jr. (1878-1940),
Harriett Cornelia (1880-1958),
and Eloise Dexter (1885-1965). None of
the children married or had children.
James W. Hunter, Jr. went on to serve as
a medic in World War I and later became
a successful physician in cardiology and
radiology. The sisters remained active in
several local, state, and national patriotic
and genealogical societies. All except
James Jr. passed away in the home. Upon
request, the home was turned into a museum
after the passing of the last family
member with the home containing ninety-five
percent of its original contents. Today,
it is cared for by a wonderful group
of staff member’s and docent’s that have
fallen in love with its Victorian charm.
Upon entering the house through the
large glass door, it’s as though you have
stepped into another place in time. The
floors creek and moan in acknowledgement
of your arrival. Passing through the
front parlor, lies a wicker casket used for
viewing purposes prior to burial. The parlor
is slightly curved, with draperies hung
from top to bottom that puddle on the
floor. Our lovely tour guide, Patty, said
“this was a way for Victorian’s to say they
could afford to waste this material.” The
fireplace is large, equipped with its beautiful
original ceramic tile. Each fireplace
on the first floor contains an image on
the tile. One image is that of three women,
known as “The three muses.” On the
mantel lie another original piece; a clock.
Although the clock stopped working
decades ago, one staff member, Renee,
claims that when alone with the clock,
it will start ticking until they take their
leave.
Up next we move to the green back parlor
and dining room where original books
and china remain on the shelves. Patty explains
how during the Victorian era, the
green dye came from arsenic. This dye
could be poisonous to those who wore
green clothing. Thus, women in green
were considered beautiful but deadly.
There is a donated 148-year-old taxidermy
owl, lovingly named Mr. Owl, that is
thought of as the guardian to the home.
It is claimed Mr. Owl roams the home
at night as the staff will find one of his
feathers where it should not be. On the
dining table lie the original Ouija board
that was found in the attic. According to
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