Phillips House Dining Room

A Country Landscape usually hangs above the mantlepiece in the dining room of the Phillips House in Salem, Massachusetts.

With the aid of architect William Rantoul, the Phillips remodeled this room extensively in 1911–12. The Phillipses removed a staircase from this area and enlarged the room, adding the fireplace and the symmetrical china cabinets, all done in the Colonial Revival style. The cabinets display the finest pieces in the Phillips family’s extensive china collection.

In the image, the table is set for an ordinary dinner with close friends. To start dinner, Mr. Phillips gave a brief lecture on a topic of his choice, which would serve as the theme of the conversation throughout dinner.

Click the hot spots in the picture to learn more about objects in the room. For more about the Phillips House, see below.