Speaking In Detail
Like all histories, the story of Villa Terrace can be interpreted from many perspectives. Much of its documented history is obtained from written texts or from narrated memories. However, the building itself speaks to us in ways that only material culture does.
The Villa’s material environment tells us a relatively unheard story of culture. As we carefully scrutinize the craft, intentions, and resources that made this building, we hear the walls and details speak. Why does the Villa Terrace make us feel privileged, comfortable, and sometimes unwelcome. We begin to understand why we have these feelings by examining the details of the space and our affective responses to it. As we identify those details and their attributes, we piece together a new story of the Villa’s past. |
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Beth Chapman, one of the original members of the Friends of the Villa Terrace Board, speaks on the authenticity of the Villa.
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Delphine Cannon, one of the original members of the Friends of the Villa Terrace Board, describes the wallpaper in the upstairs room of the Villa--and its popularity in the White House!
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Refuge
The Villa Terrace tells us a story of class and privilege experienced by residents and guests. While an explanation of the boundary conditions, such as the drive-in gate and the terrace steps, is important, it does not tell us much of the story. We can learn more from the details of those conditions such as the level of ornamentation, the materials used, and when they were made. For instance the front fence of the property is made of pillars and ironwork. The vertical elements of the fence have no intricate details—they are made of solid iron rods. The entire fence lacks any ornamentation, apart from rivets and bolts, leaving its most predominant feature as the spikes on its top. Iron is a cold and hard material, which without ornamentation emanates a feeling of aloofness. This tells us that the fence was there to deter intruders. While this may not seem like an amazing detail, it tells us about the family who lived there—their decision to erect a simple iron fence prohibited strangers from intruding but gave guests a sense of security. The fence, paired with other elements, such as the ironwork window grates, establish the withdrawn nature displayed by the Smith Residence towards Terrace Drive. |
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Threshold
As we think about the people who lived in the Villa we begin to understand the importance attributed to the spaces they inhabited. We explored craftsmanship and detailing in order to interpret the social and spatial hierarchies within the Smith household. In the Villa Terrace, we observe a wide range of craftsmanship. The doorways vary, from basic dimensional lumber molding to crafted stonework. Careful examination of the craft put into the door moldings and hardware tells us who occupied these spaces and informs us of their role and position within the household. The door handles are important pointers too. They tell us of a space’s importance by responding to our touch. The use of each door handle expresses a privilege to enter, from polished brass to fixed wood, the feel of the handle hardware is a highly intimate welcoming sensation. The passageway from and to any space speaks to us in the same manner. Examination of our responses to these conditions tells us their social history. Highly decorated moldings and hardware enclose the most elaborate spaces. These were spaces that were experienced by guests in the great hall. Spaces that have doorways with moldings and hardware that are basic are purely functional. Many were in spaces occupied by people of lesser social status. In the case of the Smith family that meant the servants. |
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Prospect
The details of decoration are a powerful part of our sensory environment. Whether it is an indoor crown molding or an outdoor cornice, details establish the presence of place. Our appreciation for craftsmanship and details influence the memory of spaces we occupy, weaving impressions of art, history, and culture—all of which have a direct relationship with the physical environment we are in. The benefit to us is that we can learn about another culture by identifying the decorative details of spaces. The procession through the Villa begins at the courtyard. Here the columns are of a lower order within the classical system—in this case, the Doric order. This provides a level of importance to the space. In the second floor across the courtyard, the columns move up to a higher order—the Ionic order, suggesting that the upper level occupies a privileged position. It is not until you move through the house that you find the most dominant space. The rear terrace has columns of the highest order—the Corinthian order. What this tells us is that the further you proceed into this property you encounter increasingly elaborate detailing of columns and more rewarding spaces. During the time the Smith family lived there the most privileged people were allowed through the courtyard, past the house, and onto the rear terrace. |
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Stories
Bibliography
Jeffrey E. Klee, "Civic Order on Beacon Hill," Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 15 (2008): 43-57.
Jeffrey E. Klee, "Viewpoint: Fieldwork 2001," Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 19, no. 1 (2012): 1-17.
Jeffrey E. Klee, "Civic Order on Beacon Hill," Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 15 (2008): 43-57.
Jeffrey E. Klee, "Viewpoint: Fieldwork 2001," Buildings & Landscapes: Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum 19, no. 1 (2012): 1-17.