New Year’s Eve I went out to lunch with a friend and afterward we went to the Mark Twain House. I have lived in Connecticut all my life but I had never visited it and we were looking for something to do after lunch and I thought about visiting the Twain house. I checked my library’s website and the library pass for the tour was still available (Your local library usually has passes to many local museums and tourist attractions, it is worth looking into.).
For lunch we meet at the Chowder Pot and I had Lobster Pot Pie, it was delicious but you know me anything with lobster in it good. We then headed over to Farmington Avenue to the Mark Twain House and we were able to take the 3:05 tour. They don’t allow pictures inside the house which I figured that they wouldn’t because most historic places like Newport and the Hill-Stead do not for some reason.
One of the first things that struck me when the tour entered the house was how dark it was inside and I wasn’t the only one to notice that, another tour member asked if that was the normal brightness. The tour guide said it was because all they had back then was gas lights and they didn’t give off much light. As we were going up the staircase I noticed the banister was low and when I asked him about it he said it was designed to be that way to make the room seem larger, but I’ll tell you it could never pass code today. Another thing that I saw that was interested was the gas extension cord, we have cords on electric lights so they can be moved and they had gas hoses from a wall or ceiling lamp to do the same thing. Mr. Clemens even had a “man cave” on the top floor of the three story house where he worked on his books, smoked his cigars and played pool with his friends. The website has pictures of the inside of the house and also a floor plan.
The tour lasted about an hour and then we wandered around the small museum that they have behind the house. As we were walking back from tour the guide to me that he had seen me around town, that he remembered me from an event at the MCC church in Hartford. It seems like everyone remembers the six foot tranny in the room.
My friend went to "First Night" celebrations and I went home. I didn't want to go because the wind chill was in the single digits and standing around in freezing weather is not my definition of having fun.
For lunch we meet at the Chowder Pot and I had Lobster Pot Pie, it was delicious but you know me anything with lobster in it good. We then headed over to Farmington Avenue to the Mark Twain House and we were able to take the 3:05 tour. They don’t allow pictures inside the house which I figured that they wouldn’t because most historic places like Newport and the Hill-Stead do not for some reason.
One of the first things that struck me when the tour entered the house was how dark it was inside and I wasn’t the only one to notice that, another tour member asked if that was the normal brightness. The tour guide said it was because all they had back then was gas lights and they didn’t give off much light. As we were going up the staircase I noticed the banister was low and when I asked him about it he said it was designed to be that way to make the room seem larger, but I’ll tell you it could never pass code today. Another thing that I saw that was interested was the gas extension cord, we have cords on electric lights so they can be moved and they had gas hoses from a wall or ceiling lamp to do the same thing. Mr. Clemens even had a “man cave” on the top floor of the three story house where he worked on his books, smoked his cigars and played pool with his friends. The website has pictures of the inside of the house and also a floor plan.
The tour lasted about an hour and then we wandered around the small museum that they have behind the house. As we were walking back from tour the guide to me that he had seen me around town, that he remembered me from an event at the MCC church in Hartford. It seems like everyone remembers the six foot tranny in the room.
My friend went to "First Night" celebrations and I went home. I didn't want to go because the wind chill was in the single digits and standing around in freezing weather is not my definition of having fun.
The Twain house is interesting. Went there with a friend years ago. Sadly, it was the last time I saw my friend before she passed.
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