The Parlor

      Sadly, many of the house’s original furnishings were sold at an auction held before the property was deeded to the town.  The house was refurbished to demonstrate the style and fashion of the Victorian Era.  While some pieces reflect a more modern sentiment, the overall tone of the house is in keeping with Victorian taste.

     During the Victorian Era, many industrial advances were made, including the ability to produce wall coverings and brightly tinted paint.  Today we remember the Gilded Age as a time of conspicuous spending and the extravagant patterns seen in the wall coverings and window treatments demonstrate that trend.

     Family history holds that Juliet Fauntleroy, second eldest of Thomas and Mary Anna’s 8 children, tutored students in the tower.  She was a teacher at Altavista High School for many years and was in Randolph Macon Woman’s College second class (1892).  The tower was also enjoyed by summer guests at Avoca, many of whom would stay all season.  In that period the room contained a large marble topped round table and newspapers and magazines were kept in the room for everyone to enjoy.

     The Parlor was the room to which guests were shown.  It was a formal setting for teas, afternoon callers, or courting couples.  After dinner, Victorian ladies retired to the Parlor while the men adjourned to the Music Room for a cigar and occasional drink before joining their fair companions.