At Home with the Swans: The Parlors

April 24, 2026

Overview of how the parlors were used at Rose Hill Mansion.

By Heather Green, Visitor Services and Programs Manager at Rose Hill Mansion & Johnston House 

“The wedding took place at the west end of the west parlor…The refreshments were served by Teall the Rochester caterer in the spacious dining room and the north room. The presents were arranged in the south room.” Geneva Advertiser, April 3, 1883

Rose Hill Mansion, along with other upper-class homes of the 19^th century, had private and public rooms. The parlors are a perfect representation of the two spheres. Rose Hill has three rooms considered parlors: the Front Parlor, Back Parlor, and North Parlor (formerly the Music Room).

Parlors have a long and fascinating history. The word itself comes from the French parley: to speak. It was used in the 14^th century to describe a room inside a monastery where monks were able to converse with people from outside. Over the next two hundred years, its use shifted. Eventually in the 16^th century, the term parlor was beginning to be used in reference to a formal room for entertaining guests at home, such as the Front Parlor at Rose Hill. The definition continued to grow, however, finally encompassing both the idea of a “formal parlor” for guests and a separate room meant for private use by the family.

View of the the Back Parlor at Rose Hill. The room is dressed for summer with slip covers on the furniture and cheesecloth over mirrors, paintings and chandelier. — Back Parlor in Rose Hill Mansion

The Front Parlor at Rose Hill and other similar houses functioned as a social space. It was a formal area used for visiting with guests. It also doubled as space for special events, such as Otis Swan’s funeral and Mary Swan’s wedding. Furniture and decorations in a front parlor were meant to be seen by others: the best furniture and rugs in the house, the best or most unique décor, no tools or dirt left for guests to see (Although, Robert Swan did have a bronze model of a plow that he displayed in the front parlor, if you want to count that as a “tool” of his occupation).

There were doors between the Front and Back Parlors which would usually remain closed to keep public and private rooms separate.

The Back Parlor was the area in which the Swan family gathered, as Caleb Swan notes in his journals. As mentioned, last month, the Back Parlor would be used for writing letters, sewing, and other daily activities. The Swans also played games and read books in this room. On your tour of Rose Hill, you will see the Back Parlor set up as if the Swan family had recently left the room: books, papers, and games readily to hand.

In addition to these two rooms is a third parlor: the North Parlor. There is little mention of this space in Swan family writings, though Agnes Swan did leave us photographs of it, showing the room set up as a parlor. In addition, we know that when Mary Swan married Wilhelmus Mynderse, the reception was in the Dining Room and North Room. The documentation we have on its use supports the idea of the room being used as a parlor on an as-needed basis.

Parlors were for socializing, but also for the tradition of having tea. Afternoon tea as we know it (with dainty sandwiches and scones) was served in the parlor. In some families, other small meals are served in a parlor, as well. Having eaten their main meal (dinner) in the middle of the day, the Swan’s evening meal was very light, comprising of such things as fruit, finger foods and rusks. This makes the Back Parlor a likely place for the Swans to have had their evening meal, which they called tea.

Given the universality of “Tea” in the 1800s as a light meal consisting of finger foods, no matter its time of day, we are introducing an afternoon tea series at Rose Hill Mansion. Each Afternoon Tea will be at 1:00 p.m. and consist of a variety of teas, small sandwiches, and scones. The afternoon will also include a short program related to the Swans and Geneva. All ages are welcome.

Since Rose Hill’s parlors are not set up for such an event these days, the Teas will take place on the back patio unless inclement weather moves us indoors.

The first tea will be on Saturday, June 27. In the spirit of the 250^th celebrations, we will look at how the Swans celebrated the 1876 Centennial of the United States. Geneva provided quite a party for the country’s 100^th birthday, and the Swans joined in the festivities. Tickets are $35 per person per Tea or can be purchased at a discount as a package for the entire series. See more details and purchase tickets here.