le
Right:
The parlor
features a
day bed, a
1790
worktable
and antique
chairs.
ing out photos of the family in hood-
ed raincoats watching the home in the
middle of a busy intersection. The
home is now listed in the State
Register of Historic Sites.
Entering the Johnston's gravel
driveway, one senses a time warp. In-
stead of a manicured lawn, visitors
are greeted by knee-high Queen
Anne's Lace, Yarrow and Chicory. The
farmhouse's three Greek columns
give it a stately appearance.
The entry room leads to the parlor,
kitchen and dining area. The entry
room features a dollhouse, circa 1865,
which houses Mr. Johnston's collec-
tion of books by Charles Dickens. The
main living area is the parlor. There
is no couch, but a day bed adds to
the authenticity. The parlor also in-
cludes a circa 1848 Pennsylvania cor-
8 HOME
ner cupboard, a circa 1830 settee and
a circa 1790 worktable. The only 1991
artifact is the television placed in-
conspicuously in a corner.
The dining area features a modern
white Parsons table flanked by an-
tique chairs. Each chair is different
but was chosen for its sculptural ap-
peal. "They are each a work of art,"
says Mrs. Johnson. Mr. Johnston's
paintings hang on the walls.
The kitchen is a blend of the old
and the new. "We felt we had lots of
liberty in the kitchen and the bath-
room," says Mrs. Johnson. New
plumbing and electrical wiring make
the house liveable. The black-and-
white checkered floor matches the
tiles on the countertop. There's a
high-tech white faucet that is direct-
ly underneath the modern glass
George Kovacs light fixture, as well as
an old fashioned-looking commercial
six-burner gas stove.
The second floor bedrooms are
filled with antiques. Their son's room
even has antique toys and an old
chest. The Shaker furniture in the
master bedroom rests on the original
floor planks from the home. On top
of the Shaker bed is an early Ameri-
can quilt circa 1890 made from sugar
bag sacks. The Shaker spinning wheel,
bonnets, and cupboard reflect the
simplicity of the era.
Throughout the home, items are
carefully displayed. Old spectacles
rest on a picture frame. Boxes, but-
tons and books are some of the cou-
ple's collections. The home is a
masterpiece in Americana, just like
David McCall Johnston's paintings. ❑