It is said that the old Seward kitchen was one of the most popular stations of the Underground Railroad, and that many a poor slave who fled by this route to Canada carried to his grave the remembrance of its warmth and cheer.
Clothing & Textiles
Clothing & Textiles
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DollDoll with composition head and kid body. Clothing includes shoes, stockings, pantelletes, 2 half petticoats, undershirt, dress (pink and white stripe skirt with white bodice and buttons down front), pink and white stripe jacket matching skirt, and pink silk pleated bonnet. |
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DollBride and groom dolls with wooden legs, arms and heads with cloth bodies. Groom is dressed in black trousers and coat with tails and gold buttons. Bride is wearing white wedding gown and headpiece with veil, 3 petticoats and pantalettes. Bride is missing both arms. The wedding dress skirt and... |
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HatHigh black beaver hat in leather traveling case. Hat made by Dunlap & Co. Hat box is lined with scarlet silk. Initials ‘‘W.H.S’’ in gold on inside of hat. Dated Jan. 14, 1909. |
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ShoePair of white kid shoes, quite high, laced with wide silk ribbon with tassel on ends. Stamp on bottom ‘‘J.O. Bennett & Barnard.’’ Low heels. |
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HatChapeau bras style hat with black ostrich plume over top. Black moiré taffeta ribbon as decoration on front. Gold insignia with eagle and motto in gold thread, woven piece on side of hat. Gold army button. Red box, same shape as hat. Horstmann Bros. & Allien inside hat on blue silk lining |
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COVERLETc. 1840 Woven blue and white, winter-summer coverlet with fringe on three sides. |
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CARPET19th Century Mahal Carpet |
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BONNETc. 1850 Black and white checked poke style bonnet. |
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BONNETc. 1850 Light green poke style bonnet in a soft material. |
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CARPETc. 1870 Oushak carpet - Turkish carpet with red field, decorated with geometric and stylized floral motifs in blue and green. |
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Crusader Armorc. 1000-1200 CE Three pieces of chain armor - helmet, should-piece and gauntlet. All flat metal on armor is engraved. Flat pieces of metal and metal mesh. Worn during the Crusades. Obtained by Sec. Wm. H. Seward during his visit to Cairo in 1871. |
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France Seward's Summer DressC. 1825 Belonged to William Henry Seward’s wife, Frances Adeline Seward. She is wearing it in a photograph taken in the Seward’s Washington D.C. garden around 1863. This is a white dotted Swiss summer dress with high waist (Empire), wide neck and short double puffed sleeves. Lace on... |
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Janet Watson Seward's Wedding Dressc. 1860 Dress worn by Janet McNeil Watson when she married William. H. Seward II on June 17, 1860. A White faille wedding dress; two piece with cap sleeves. Originally this dress was covered with silk net which deteriorated. Janet wore this dress on her 50th wedding anniversary in 1910... |
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Seward’s Suitc.1859 A Embroidered vest, pants, shoes, and stockings worn by Seward when he was presented to Queen Victoria in 1859. Victoria gave him a private audience and treated him as though he were already the US President, as much of Europe expected. |
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Fanny Seward's Favorite Dressc. 1860 Worn by Frances Seward, daughter of Secretary Seward 1860-1865. Pictured in the portrait of Fanny by Emanuel Leutze that hangs in the drawing room. This is a two piece white, organdy dress ornamented with pink organdy. The bodice is off shoulder with large puffed sleeves... |
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Janet Watson Seward’s Apronc. late 1850s Worn by Janet Watson Seward. "Janet Watson" is written by the band. Hand-hemmed and fastened with a mother of pearl button instead of ties. Floor-length white cotton apron. Includes rows of small sewn horizontal pleats, machine stitched, divided by a larger one. |
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Chinese Embroidered Silk Panelc. 1870 This tapestry on display over the grand staircase, was presented to William Seward when he visited China in 1870. Seward visited China and they presented him with a silk tapestry that has Seward himself embroidered into the center with his three sons along the top. The dragons at... |
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Tlingit Armorc. Late 15th Cenutry Though William H. Seward spearheaded the purchase of Alaska for the U.S. in 1867, he did not travel there until 1869. During his trip he visited the Tlingit Indians who are a prominent Native American group still living in southeast Alaska. Seward acquired several... |
