The Kitchen
Through the
years, the kitchen area had seen many changes. Walls had been removed
from a kitchen, butler's pantry and breakfast room to form a maze-like
kitchen area, comfortable for neither a family nor catering staff. During
the renovation, the kitchen area was peeled back to the bare walls and
the space divided into two separate areas, a serving kitchen for the
public role of the house and a family kitchen, better suited to the
needs of a busy family. A window, long boarded over, was restored, and
now provides a lovely view of the east yard.
The framed needlework featuring Kansas wildflowers are done in petit point with a needlepoint background. They pattern was custom-designed by Margaret Ragsdale of Topeka who enlisted the assistance of 12 other Kansas needlework artists to create these lovely designs. They were originally the backs of the dining room chairs, but were removed, cleaned and put in preservation frames during the restoration. They now line the back stairway.