Dear Liza,
Mr. and Mrs. Pittock raised several daughters, who married and had children, and also adopted some nieces when the girls became orphaned. So the Mansion couldn’t just be elegant, it had to be fun.
The children must have spent summer days running in the woods and gardens, and there was also a tennis court. For inside play, there was a playroom filled with all sorts of fancy toys…..a puppet theater, rocking chair, and toy elephant. These toys were made of wood and metal, and have been well cared for, so we can see them today.
Down in the caretaker’s house, we saw toys for children of the servant class… lovely, but not as elaborate. The beds and furniture were kid-sized to leave more room in the small rooms for play.
I enjoyed imagining the children running up and down the grand staircase, maybe bouncing balls along the marble hall, their voices echoing out over the gardens. And maybe, on quiet evenings, playing piano or learning to embroider.
I know we can’t live in the past, but I do love to visit!
Love,
Grandma Judy
