The Stanford Mansion: Dining Room

10/8/26 14 Comments

Authored & Curated By

M.J.G.

The dining room was among the most impressive rooms in the Stanford Mansion. Vast in scale and richly decorated, it was designed to leave a lasting impression on guests while serving as the setting for formal dinners and family gatherings. A massive extendable table occupied the center of the room, surrounded by elaborate furnishings, painted ornament, and decorative details at every turn. Contemporary accounts describe a rich crimson color scheme, although surviving photographs leave much open to interpretation. Whether found in the carpets, upholstery, window treatments, or stenciled decoration, the color undoubtedly contributed to the room's dramatic character.

Fortunately for us, the room was photographed by Eadweard Muybridge during his documentation of the Stanford Mansion. At least four photographs of the dining room are known to survive, providing an extraordinary visual record of the space and allowing us to study many of its decorative details today. More than 150 years later, these remarkable images offer a rare opportunity to step inside one of the mansion's most impressive interiors.

Original floor plans are courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site. Documentation and images from their collections can be accessed here.

Exterior Room Location
Continuing in a clockwise fashion around the house and still viewing the home from the south-facing elevation seen when we visited the conservatory and sitting room, we now arrive at the southwest corner. This is where the dining room would have been located, flanked by two large bay windows.

First Floor Plan
It is plain to see from this floor plan that the dining room, highlighted in green and the room we visit today, occupied the combined length of the sitting room and billiard room that we visited earlier on the east side of the mansion. The room was described as being approximately 50 by 45 feet and located in the southwest corner of the residence, according to the San Francisco Chronicle on April 2, 1876.

Entering the dining room from the conservatory we last visited would lead us to this west-facing view toward Mark Hopkins’ home. Straight ahead, you would be greeted by a deep bay window framed by fluted Corinthian columns.

Early drawings of the room show the wall to the left of the west bay window and the beginning of the south bay window. The wood dado is similar in execution, but it is not the same. At some point, the panel design was altered. These original drawings are fantastic and illustrate the evolution of the design.

In the bay stood a silver and glass fountain on a tiled floor. This west-facing bay window not only helped flood the room with light, but the presence of this fountain must also have provided a relaxing sound. In this view, notice the interesting pile of the carpet. Unlike the other rooms, this carpet appears to have a thicker pile.

The recess of the west window is paved with encaustic tiles, and has a glass fountain, the principle piece of which is heavier than any glass casting ever made before in this country.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

These beautiful window hangings, also very typical of the 1870s and possibly executed by Pottier & Stymus, are quite bold and are finished with the same, or a very similar, fringe to that seen on the tablecloth and dining room chairs. These patterns are complex in their execution and consist of creative folds, alternating fringes, trims, and graceful drapery. Unlike modern-day lookalikes, where the cascading valances are often pressed into sharp zigzags, the folds here are much softer and are allowed to fall gently.

What’s fantastic about this photo is that it gives us an idea of how beautifully the ceilings were painted. While we cannot make out the entire ceiling design, what is visible is impressive. Between the ceiling artwork and the cornice moldings are additional patterns and colors, followed by a simple border of a darker material on the wall. The window cornice is particularly impressive.

This Bugbee & Sons drawing shows how the room’s ceiling was to be executed. In very small lettering, you can see that the side walls of the bay were to be fitted with mirrors. As you will see next, each side of the bay is equipped with recessed mirrors.

In this photo, you can make out the mirror between the window frame and the round Corinthian column, reflecting the bay window. It is framed with wood molding. Pay particular note the arched molding across the top.

This drawing also shows the bay to the left and how it was intended to be constructed. At some point, the pencil markings indicate what may have been a change in the design of the large mirrors on each side of the bay. The pencil drawing of a flat arch across the top of the mirror is consistent with what was ultimately executed. The wood framing around the top of the bay was incorporated into the final design.

The chairs in the room featured a very unique pattern said to have been made specifically in Turkey. If you look closely at the center, there appears to be the letter “S” for Stanford. Don’t forget to look behind the chairs at the ornate wood dado with all its trimmings. The silver on the table is brilliant. The brocade on the tablecloth is just as heavy as that seen on the chairs, and the fabric is a match. This is a very interesting design for a dining room.

The furniture of the dining-room, which is made to match the ceiling, is covered in a richly brocaded stuff not often seen in house furnishing.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

With some digging, I located a very similar piece online. This impressive Victorian centerpiece was manufactured by Elkington & Co. of Birmingham, England, in 1863. One of the most prestigious silver firms of the nineteenth century, Elkington was renowned for its innovative electroplating techniques and luxurious decorative wares. The elaborate design, combining Classical and Renaissance Revival motifs, reflects the taste for richly ornamented silver display pieces favored by wealthy households during the Victorian era. The primary difference here is the base tray on which it sits. The Stanford piece appears to be circular, unlike this example.

This photo was clipped from a website featuring a variety of exceptional silver offered at auction. Click here to visit.

Southwest Views
Walking behind the fountain and looking out the left bay window, you would have enjoyed a southwest view of the room. It is a view that was noted by the writer of the San Francisco Chronicle in an article describing the space.

The Dining-Room is in the southwest corner. It has two immense bow[sic] windows and a pleasant outlook over the southern part of the city, the bay an in the direction of Lone Mountain.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

Walking over to the Corinthian columns of the bay we just viewed and turning back, we are presented with the room from the opposite perspective. The room is immense, having been described as measuring approximately 50 by 30 feet. The room featured wall sconces and, like the other reception rooms, three large and highly ornamental metal chandeliers. To the right stood an enormous sideboard designed to match the woodwork of the room.

A silver fountain on a mosaic floor plashes in the bay-window looking westward, paintings line the walls, minor bronze groups peep from every corner, and heavy silverware glistens on the sideboard.
San Francisco Examiner; July 3, 1893

The chairs and tablecloth were designed to complement one another. The fringe and fabric share the same pattern, and the ornamentation appears to have been applied to the surface rather than embroidered, although it is difficult to determine with certainty. The silverware on the table is stunning.

The sideboard is mammoth and is constructed to resemble a built-in cabinet. However, many sources describe it as a freestanding piece of furniture.

The buffet, which presents the same combination of woods, is the largest ever made in the country. It has a large center mirror and a beveled mirror on each side. The immense Greotte[sic] slab which forms the top is 4×16 feet, and the largest ever imported. It is of a handsome mottled garnet color, variegated with spurs of white.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

As stated earlier, there are three massive chandeliers, or gasoliers, in the room. The two chandeliers on either side of the room are ornamented above the gaslight globes with hunting dogs holding hares. All three chandeliers feature central drop lights that bring the light closer to the table when needed. Each fixture is fitted with beautifully etched globes. The double brackets extend from a central frame decorated with metal leaves.

The central light fixture is of the same design as the other two but is topped on each double-bracket arm with metallic squirrels holding what appears to be a nut. There is also an interesting bracket on the central drop light that appears to have been designed to hold a glass chimney of some sort. This component is absent from this fixture, although it is installed on the previous lamp.

Here we get a wider glimpse of the ceiling ornamentation than in some of the other rooms. The pattern is divided into rectangular panels and is heavily painted.

The frescoing is of intricate pattern, ornamented in great variety of design, with garlands of fruit and allegoric representations of the four seasons, and the four elements-earth, air fire and water.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

Zooming in a little closer, we can better appreciate the heavy detailing and layered ornamentation that went into the design. The various scroll patterns on the ceiling, cornices, and countless other decorative elements reveal a scheme in which each surface was carefully executed and thoughtfully composed, layer upon layer.

All the way in the back corner, a small ornamental ventilation grate is set high into the wall, cutting through the painted stencil border. Its position near the ceiling suggests that it formed part of the room’s ventilation system, particularly important in a space illuminated by numerous gas jets. Notice there also isn’t a fireplace in this room.

Also pay close attention to the central shaft of the chandelier and the fantastic way it is wrapped in metal leaves.

Walking a little farther down toward the other side of the table, we are offered a view through all three rooms on the west side of the house. The east side of the house contained four rooms, but the arrangement on this side was different, with the dining room occupying such an immense amount of space.

One of the many beautiful paintings in the dining room. This painting must have been brilliantly colored, with the peacock perched on the railing. The painting is described as a brilliant picture of a peacock by Charles C. Nahl in the San Francisco Chronicle; May 14, 1882.

Here, standing upon a beautiful wood pedestal that matches the one on the opposite side of the doorway, is a bronze statue of Romeo and Juliet. If you have any additional information about this artwork, please share it in the comments below.

The doorway woodwork is sharp and intricate in its design. This view provides one of the closest looks at the details. Notice one thing that appears to be missing throughout all of the rooms: door portières. The reason for their absence is unclear; however, later accounts discuss portières, suggesting that they may have been added to some of the rooms at a later date.

This landscape painting appears to depict a castle or ruined tower overlooking a mountainous countryside. Unfortunately, the surviving photograph lacks sufficient detail to positively identify either the scene or the artist. If you recognize this work or have additional information about it, please share your thoughts in the comments below.

The stenciling along the top of the wood dado is very crisp and exquisitely executed. While the base pattern was stenciled, it is clear that a considerable amount of freehand refinement and detailing were added to the completed design. Metallic gold is incorporated throughout the pattern. Can you identify this statue?

The woodwork is of French and American walnut, relieved by rosewood and ash root sinkage-a pleasing combination.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

Turning directly around from where we were just looking, this would be our view facing south. We are looking toward the corner from which we entered the room from the conservatory. This view provides a different perspective of the space, particularly for visitors entering from the hallway or the adjoining rooms on this side of the house.

The wall sconces are unique. Beneath the very tall arched bracket is a matching design depicting a hunting dog holding a hare.

The south-facing bay window is every bit as beautiful as the other, although this one is somewhat shallower and contains a large bronze statue standing in a powerful pose. There is, however, something rather interesting about the window behind it. The center window appears to have a solid panel covering it, perhaps placed there by the photographer to reduce glare entering the room. What makes this even more perplexing is that, lower down, a mirror can be seen reflecting the pedestal back into the room. Yet when the bay is viewed from the exterior, a window clearly exists in this location. An enigma indeed.

… magnificent bronzes, one representing the “Rape of the Sabine,” another by Boschetti one of the Roman emperors, and one by G Martin of an Arab hunter on his horse and surrounded by his dogs.
San Francisco Examiner; July 3, 1893

Arthur Waagen’s Kabyle au retour de la chasse (Kabyle Returning from the Hunt) is one of the artist’s most celebrated Orientalist sculptures. Created around 1870, it depicts a Kabyle (Berber) horseman from North Africa returning from a successful hunt, accompanied by his loyal hunting dogs and displaying his quarry. Combining finely modeled animals, traditional costume, and dramatic action, the work reflects the nineteenth-century European fascination with the people, landscapes, and cultures of North Africa while celebrating themes of horsemanship, courage, and the bond between hunter and hound.

Another view of the table and its impressive silver and glassware resting upon the heavy tablecloth. From this angle, you get a good look at the richly brocaded pattern of the tablecloth as well as the carved arms of the chairs.

The ceiling was described by the San Francisco Examiner on July 3, 1893, as having been executed by Tojetti and representing Night and Morning. It is not clear, however, from the surviving photographs whether this description accurately refers to the dining room ceiling or whether the reporter may have confused it with another room. Newspaper accounts occasionally contain errors, and this description appears to conflict with the earlier newspaper account of the room.

Virgilio Tojetti (1849-1901) was an Italian-born painter and muralist whose work appeared in some of the grand residences and public buildings of the late nineteenth century. Contemporary accounts of the Stanford residence identify Tojetti as one of several artists involved in the home’s decorative program, contributing to the richly ornamented interiors for which the mansion became famous. However, the exact extent of his work within the house remains difficult to verify from surviving sources.

All the way at the back corner, this is the door we would have come through from the conservatory. The door is opened slightly and if you notice, the door opens into the room and not against the wall. Usually doors were place that way deliberately for privacy, or to obscure the view into private areas or servants’ quarters. To the left of that door in this large doorframe is another door the perhaps went into the water closet on the other side, or perhaps was a false door, and they were just matching the proportions of the door on the other side of that wall that led into the stair hall.

Butlers Pantry
There are no photographs currently available that show the butler’s pantry, but contemporary newspaper accounts describe it as a large and well-appointed room. The original floor plans in my collection do not show exactly what appears in the exterior photographs. However, it does seem that a small room was added to the end of the structure and topped with a skylight. I’ve added its approximate location in dotted lines on the floor plan above. The butler’s pantry occupied two floors and was equipped with a dumbwaiter, as well as a staircase leading down to the basement butlery and kitchen.

The butler’s pantry adjoining is finished with light colored woods in the intermediate Gothic style, and has all the modern improvements, including an electric annunciator, burglar alarm and plate warmer.
The San Francisco Chronicle; April 2, 1876.

The stairs shown here descended to the basement butlery, which was connected to the basement kitchen. A dumbwaiter and staircases linked the two rooms together. The basement rooms will be examined in a later section. Here, however, you can see that the room featured a two-sided dumbwaiter that could be accessed from both the butlery and the kitchen. Ascending five steps to the first landing brought you to a door on the left leading to the ice closet, which measured 5 feet 4 inches in width.

Two exterior views show this area. The photograph on the left shows the corner and the projecting bay-shaped window, with no windows visible on either the front or side elevations. The photograph on the right provides a partially obscured view of the room, and if you look near the top, you can see evidence of a skylight. While no photographs of the room are currently known to exist, perhaps one will surface someday. Until then, we do have contemporary descriptions of the space.

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