Children's Bedroom

This bedroom was most likely used as a nursery for some of Mary Louisa and Jacob Miller’s nine children. Mary and Jacob spent about six months of each year in Washington from 1840 to 1852. Occasionally, one of their nine children would accompany them to the capital for the spring or autumn congressional sessions. The other children stayed at Macculloch Hall with their grandparents.

This room shows the Macculloch’s belief in education. The books in the Eastlake bookcase were owned by the Miller children.

Samplers made by 19th-century schoolgirls hang on the walls. These were done as practice piece in formal girls’ schools taught by professional women teachers. The 1827 sampler is by Mary Miles, a second cousin of museum founder W. Parsons Todd.

Please touch the pair of children’s iron ice skates. They were strapped to a child’s shoes to skate during the winter. The green-painted toy chair is an example of the type of toy a child may have played with in the house. Flip through the 20th-century copy of Cinderella. Macculloch family members were avid readers. Most of the books in the bookcase in this room belonged to the five generations of the family who lived here.

To return to the Center Hall, walk through the doorway to the South into the Master Bedroom, and then the door to the west. Walk down the staircase. The railing remains on the left, there are 6 stairs. When you reach the landing, turn left, there is a tall case clock directly in front, turn left and walk down the stairs. There are 12 stairs.