Jechonias Thayer House Christmas Tour, Part 1

Every year the Gardener's Guild of Braintree decorates a home for the Christmas tour.  It's probably their biggest fund raiser of the year and all the members are involved in the process.  This year was spectacular!  A local landmark, the Jechonias Thayer House was built around 1815 as a summer home for his wife Abby.  At the time it overlooked Morrison's Pond which is now Elm Street.  (I don't know where the pond went!)  The land itself was granted to his great, great, great grandfather, Thomas Thayer by King Charles I in 1640.  Thayer, a wealthy shipping merchant was a direct descendent of John Alden and Pricilla Mullins of the Mayflower, and related to General Sylvanus Thayer for whom Thayer Academy is named.  

Recently purchased and renovated by a local family.  To say I was eager to check it out would be an understatment!  So a group of us, including my bff, (haopy birthday Carol-ann!) stood in line in the freezing cold knee deep in snow drifts for hours.. Actually, we went late in the day and didn't have to wait in line at all and the temps were in the balmy 50s and Saturday's snowfall was long gone!  Here's a sample of the home -- I'll post more of the photos later.  Kudos to the Gardener's Guild for a beautiful job, and to the homeowners for allowing 700 women to roam through their beautiful home! Enjoy!

This photo is looking up at the gilding that graces the columns and underside of the porch roof

This little bench is where we sat to put on our little booties to protect the gorgeous oak floors with walnut pegs dating back to a renovation in the 19th century.

 The formal living room is surrounded by windows on three sides that used to overlook a pond across the street.  It was so crowded with people that I couldn't get any photos of this room, or the entry foyer.  But I did get a close up of the tree (above adorned with fresh baby's breath, silk hydrangeas, pinecones, glass ornaments and festooned with gold wired ribbon.  It was drop dead gorgeous! Wish I could have gotten a photo with the entire tree in it for you!

 This floral arrangement with white roses, tulips, hydrangeas and gilded magnolia leaves graced an antique handcarved, enormous harpischord that was a focal point in the room.

 Yes, those are gilded artichokes!

Hand-painted linen wallpaper adorns the formal dining room.

The cabinets in the Butler's Pantry have been fully restored including the hardware.  Note the hammered copper tile backsplash -- more on that is coming in another post!

The Study

 All of the windows in the home are deep set with built-in shutters on the side that close.  Every window ledge was adorned with a box of greens and electric candles...perfection!  That's not a ghost in the window just my reflection - but there are tales of a spirit in the cloak room next to this room!

The Foyer Tree

Gotta run, more tomorrow, I promise!

xoxo,

Millie