Seward Home Auburn NY

What a treat to finally find this historic home open. Was closed for the winter, and opened this weekend with “shocking stories from the family archives.”

What a beautiful home with many priceless relics. The family stories were a bit unsettling, but what family doesn’t have cobwebs in their closet?.

Here’s the man himself painted while Governor of New York, of which he had 2 terms. A graduate of Union College, he came to Auburn to work for a man whose daughter he eventually married. During a hiatus from Union College he taught school in Georgia, In his later years he received a letter from a slave who stated she was his daughter. He never responded to the letter.

The Family

The Library

Seward was a chain cigar smoker often smoking up to 7 cigars per day.

The Parlor

Seward ran against Lincoln and lost. While his wife told him to stay home and campaign he took a trip to Europe during this time. Bad move, however, Lincoln did appoint him Secretary of State. He continued journeying the globe in this position.

One of the many beautiful items acquired from Seward’s journeys.

And one for levity.

What a gorgeous stair.

The Dining Room – 2 views

Note the small blue dish on the table, a Tiffany classic. There are several Tiffany pieces in the home.

A better picture of the far end of the Dining Room.

One of Seward’s sons was known to have eaten lead based paint as a child and was brain damaged from this incident.

Another son became a career military man, and since the family were pacifists he remained on the periphery of the family and was ridiculed.

Mrs. Seward was cruel to her servants, especially the Irish of which were 80% of the servant population. It was stated she was a spiteful and outspoken critic of many people. On a trip to the White House Mrs. Lincoln refused to meet with Mrs. Seward.

The upstairs parlor and our very eloquent docent.