Goodman-LeGrand Mansion

Here are the final pictures I promised from the Goodman-LeGrand Mansion in Tyler, Texas.

 

During the Civil War the south portion of the house was occupied by a family of war refugees from the Brokenburn Plantation in Tallulah, Louisiana.  At that time it is believed to have been much less elegant than as later furnished by the wealthy Goodman family.  In later years, as a formal south parlor, it was also called the Gold Room, no doubt because of the gold silk draperies and the gilt furnishings.  Two of the gilt chairs were given to Miss Etta Goodman, Sallie Goodman LeGrand's sister, by gentlemen callers.  Interesting gifts by young suitors!  Etta died before she ever married and after her death Sallie completed the room with more gilt pieces in her honor.  The piano is a Mathushek square grand built in 1873.  It actually was not owned by the Goodmans but was donated to the museum by another prominent Tyler family.  The painting over the piano is Marjorie Goodman, Miss Sallie's cousin.  It is believed to be a combination of two paintings.  It appears to be painted by two different artists at two separate times.  One painted a completed portrait and the other artist later painted Miss Goodman's portrait over the original.

The home has a rather small dining room, and one wonders where guests were entertained.  Perhaps tents were set up outside and there was no eating in the main house except for family meals.  Likewise, the kitchen is very small, but in those days kitchens of the wealthy were actually in separate buildings away from the main house in order to keep the house cool.  The dining room is furnished with the original hand-carved furniture as well as china, porcelain, and silver belonging to the Goodman-LeGrands.  The collection includes a 100-piece set of Rose Medallion china and four sets of Limoges porcelain.  The pride of the collection is the Limoges set on the dining table which was hand-painted by Sallie Goodman LeGrand in 1903-1904.

This buffet is one of the original pieces of furniture in the dining room.

 

The bedrooms display many items of beautiful vintage clothing.  This dress is in the southwest bedroom, occupied by The LeGrands.  The panels of what appears to be perhaps sheer silk organza bordered by lace inserts is very feminine and reminiscent of the late 1890s and early 1900s.  Can't you just see a beautiful Southern belle dressed in this outfit with the matching shoes?

And last but not least is that wooden wheelchair which I finally got a picture of by standing on the other side of it.  At least I escaped the ghost -- er, excuse me, the shadows.

Thanks for taking the tour with me.