More History Revealed at Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House

By Peter Bush, descendant of Jacob Sloat

The dropped 1960 ceiling is down in the Jacob Sloat home office. Beautiful 1848 plaster details can once again be enjoyed. Entombed under wallboard was the impressive ceiling plaster work, over-mantle, and the intact ceiling medallion! This is an important discovery. The plaster details once again speak to the sophisticated artistry and craftsmanship that have been discovered over decades of reveals and ongoing preservation work in the house. Mid-19th-century domestic architecture plaster design incorporated botanical forms, including Acanthus Leaf forms. This motif is repeated in several surviving ceiling medallions throughout Harmony Hall.

The majestic plaster ceiling medallions of Harmony Hall served gas lighting fixtures. Known as gasoliers, such fixtures were popular in wealthy homes during the mid-to-late 19th century, providing a more reliable lighting option compared to candles. As electricity became more common, some homeowners retained part of a fixture that used gas, while the other part of the fixture was wired for electricity. Early electricity could be unreliable. A homeowner could then still rely on the home’s gas piping systems to function on the valve of each arm of a chandelier. This was determined to be the case for the colonial revival chandelier in the double parlor of Harmony Hall. This brass chandelier was discovered painted over with radiator paint and found in many pieces in the areaway of the house early in advocacy. Art restorer and board trustee Kenneth J. Linsner restored the Colonial Revival chandelier in 2010, and its welcome glow now adds tremendous ambiance to our parlor events.

As preservationists, the FOHH remains grateful that prior owners seemingly sought to protect original architectural elements in the 20th century by covering them with wallboard rather than destroying them. Since the inception of the FOHH, our organization has successfully raised funds to restore the significant, defining features of Harmony Hall. These include:

• The grand staircase, windows, arch, and plaster walls

• Three south parlor windows

• All plasterwork in the double parlor

• The ceiling medallions in the double parlor and the dining room

• The plaster over the mantel of the dining room

Currently underway is the critical rehabilitation of the expansive front porch. Two original floor-to-ceiling windows will be restored and reinstated on the exterior wall of the Jacob Sloat “home office” at the north end of the front porch. Each window is comprised of four individual sashes. The original door in the room, which opens into the adjacent dining room, had previously been hidden under drywall and was revealed several years ago.

More History Revealed at Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House