7. Dining Room

This dining room might well have been the most important room in the house for much of our family life. While they were small, the children had their meals at the table by the window. The silver napkin rings and the porringers were used by the president and his older brother and carry their monograms. We have been fortunate to have the same dining room table, buffet, serving table, and china cabinet through the years. When we moved from this house in 1921, we gave the furniture to friends of ours, the Robert Fishers. They kept it intact and gladly gave it back to be returned to the house. The china was also a gift from my sister-in-law, Margaret Kennedy Burke, who painted the gold border at Notre Dame Convent when she was a student. The children never knew which one would be called upon to say grace before meals, so they were all on their toes. On holidays I remember we would discuss the events which were being commemorated, such as the battle in Lexington and Concord on April 19th. On Sundays we would talk about the gospel at Mass. If they didnt pay attention one Sunday they would the next as they knew they would be questioned. We didnt do much formal entertaining here. We preferred to have informal dinners with a few friends. Cocktail parties were not customary in those days. A little wine or champagne was served at wedding and christenings. The kitchen is along the hall to your right.