Careful observers will note many ways that the house has been altered for practical use in this hallway area. A central vacuum socket is visible in the southeast wall, and the elevator was added during the Carlson administration. Behind the doors, the servant’s kitchen was transformed into a security office, and a bathroom was eliminated to create a new pathway to the office.
The telephone and call panel outside the Library door are part of the original communications system that was installed shortly after the home was built. The Ackerman-Boland intercom was cutting-edge technology of the time. One could call any other station in the home, over to the Carriage House or to place and receive outside calls. While these phones are no longer operational, they provide a great view into what was the most advanced technology of its day.
The paintings on the west wall are of the original owners, Horace Hills Irvine and Clotilde McCullough Irvine. On the north wall there is a painting of Elizabeth, their oldest daughter, when she was seven years old.
