Hower House Essay Example

Hower House Essay Hower House is a Victorian Second Empire Italianate Mansion; it was built in 1871 by architect Jacob Snyder.The home belonged originally to John Henry Hower and his wife Susan.The house was occupied by the Howers and there descendants until 1793 when it was donated to the University of Akron by Grace Hower Crawford.The time that was represented by the Hower House was 1871 to around 1973.Some facts I learned were that the fireplaces in the Hower House are actually stone and just appear to be marble or wood.The fireplace that looked like it was wood was very interesting because its impossible to have actually wooden fireplace because it would catch fire.In the era of the Hower House a persons wealth was dependant on how many rooms there house had in it.The Hower House has 28 rooms.Most houses of the era didnt have a closet in the bedrooms because the government counted closets as rooms and taxed people if they had them.The Hower House has a closet in every bedroom because the family wa s rich enough to afford such amenities.I also learned what an actual Griffin is (and not just someone who goes to Buchtel).A Griffin was a gargoyle like creature that was half eagle and half lion.The house had statues of Griffins that were used as table legs and such.Another fact I learned was that most of the furniture and a decorative pieces in Hower House came from places outside the U.S.The Howers loved to travel and collect goods from all over the globe.My guide also showed me a steep set of stairs that led to the top of the towers.She claimed that on a clear day you could see Cleveland but also added that she never went to the top of the Tower because she wasnt allowed.I thought that was interesting because I knew the house was big but I didnt think it was that big. I learned that people who lived at during this time did basically the same things we do but it was