A typical home like this one housed the officer, his wife, up to five children and six servants. The home was busy with the noise and confusion of a large household.
A typical staffing in this home was a butler, a cook, an upstairs maid and a downstairs maid. They may have been live-in servants with quarters on the third floor, but their wages were paid by the occupant, not by the Army.
The Army would provide two enlisted servants, usually a yard man and a chauffeur (or in earlier times someone to care for the officer’s horse). They were not live-in, having quarters in an enlisted barracks on the post.
The Butler’s Pantry
An officer’s family in a post like this one lived quite like the rest of urban society nearby.
The butler’s pantry was commonly furnished with the best china, silver and glass the family could afford. An officer of this rank may have been expected to “entertain” as part of his military and social obligations.
A pass-through from the kitchen is located below the cabinets.
The butler could look through a small window into the dining room, checking on the progress of the family’s meal. The original window in the door is still intact in this house.
A small window was a feature added by the architect to allow natural light to the stairway which descends to the basement.