Comforts of Home

Comforts of Home. . , The servant’s wing, water tower, and the lush gardens are reminders that the Starr family enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle., Helping Hands , Over the years, the Starr family employed cooks, maids, drivers, gardeners, handymen, and nurses for their children. Most of the staff lived locally in Marshall's many segregated neighborhoods. In 1873, Frank and Clara Starr hired a cook, Mattie, who lived in her own room off the kitchen. Clemmie Fort, who was about the same age as Ruth Starr, lived and worked at Maplecroft for over 40 years. According to family stories, Clara Starr told Ruth and Clemmie to "take care of each other" before she died. When Ruth or her niece, Clara Willoughby, held parties, they hired students from nearby Wiley College to help out., ”...our new cook-Mattie came yesterday. I had the room next to the kitchen fixed up for her comfortably..." , Frank Starr, January 17, 1873, Modern Conveniences , Years before running water and intercom systems were common the Starr family had both. Completed in 1874, this water tower housed mechanical equipment, connected to a windmill, that pumped water up from a cistern to a tank in its upper story. Pipes ran down to washstands in three locations in the house. In the late 1880s, the Starrs connected their home to the city's water lines. Originally, the kitchen and the cook's room were connected to the main house by a walkway, to help keep heat and cooking odors out of the home. In later years, the walkway was enclosed and the rooms were reconfigured. Frank Starr also had his house equipped with a series of bells and speaking tubes, which allowed the family and the household staff to communicate with one another., Green Thumb , The Starr family took great pride in their grounds and gardens. The property boasted a vegetable garden, a fig yard, and a small orchard of fruit trees. Over 60 varieties of roses grew in the Starr's ornamental flower beds. Beyond the kitchen, a green lawn served as a tennis court. A man named Jerome served as head gardener for a time. After his departure, Frank joked that his mother-in-law, Sarah Fry Clapp, was the one truly in charge. , "The future of our grounds and garden depends much upon the quality of our gardener. I think he will suit." , Frank Starr, April 6, 1872, Local Leader , Beloved educator, civil rights activist, and NAACP officer, Fred Lewis, worked as the general superintendent for the Starr properties. Ruth Starr Blake didn't spend much time in Marshall and relied on Lewis to oversee renovations and keep the property in "ship shape." Because he was a graduate of Wiley College and had previously worked as an educator, Lewis and Blake negotiated a pay scale corresponding to teacher's salaries. In 1954, Lewis returned to the classroom and eventually became the principal at nearby Dogan Elementary School., "We loved each other and understood each other." , Fred Lewis, Captions , Clemmie Fort (third from left) and other workers at Maplecroft, 1958, Sarah Fry Clapp, 1875, Fred Lewis, 1940s, Tennis court, kitchen wing, and water tower, 1890s