Roseland Cottage

A Safe

That substantial looking washstand is actually a safe in disguise, and is further evidence that this room was originally Henry Bowen’s office. But when indoor plumbing arrived, probably by the late nineteenth century, this was a perfect place for a bathroom. It may have been easier to turn the safe into a washstand than it was to move it.  Notice the old Listerine bottle on the Eastlake-style shelf. The other bottle contains water from the River Jordan.  And on the marble top is a pitcher with poet Henry Longfellow’s likeness. Visitors who can provide evidence of a similarly-converted safe receive a free membership to Historic New England.