Modern Dining Room
The dining room was also updated by Robin Bardo between 2017 - 2020 with fresh paint and a huge change in uncovering a stone wall. When Robin was painting this wall, the paint was not "sticking" and she started to removed some of the plaster to see if she could determine "why" and this when she discovered the stone wall. The paint was likely not adhering because of the moisture in the stone. She hired a local Amish gentleman to finish exposing the wall and mortaring the stone. It has been reported that the caps on the beams of the ceiling were a sign of affluence and wealth and that many of the tools seen today in the fireplace are original. There is a bayonet from Harper's Ferry, the Civil War, that was found on the property, by Ione Brant in her gardens, that has been passed from owner to owner. The bricks are also reported to be original and show signs of where they were "eaten away" by the heat of the fires. This is one of two rooms in the house that does not have the original floors. The floors were probably installed when water was added to the home in 1903.
Amanda + Ernest Brant described the room in a document estimated to be from the 1991 Muncy Home Tour: Only first floor room originally. Many bricks in the fireplace are original, made of compressed sawdust and brick dust - consequently very soft and are set in sand. Practically all walls interior and exterior are 22 1/2 inches thick, due to the house being built in two sections. The second section was added sometime prior to 1828 - this is Limestone. Notice the narrow doorway and worn step leading to the next room.
Bruce Saunders; owner of HOMS from 2000 to 2017 describes the room in his historical accounting dated 2016: Original Kitchen with Walk-In Fireplace: The bricks in the fireplace are made of local clay. Two of the rooms on the first floor were recently restored by Jeff Martin of Muncy, who removed the plaster and lath ceiling probably installed in the early 1800's (an ad bill dating to 1834 was found under the floor boards). The rafters were originally finished and beaded, having been originally exposed as they are now, and traces of the original yellow paint still adhere to the rafters. All of the spikes and nails in the rafters were hand made and are as-found when the plaster and lath was removed. (Note that some of the rafters were planed off prior to the plaster lath being installed, to make the ceiling level). Originally the upstairs floorboard beams were also exposed.
The forged crane in the fireplace is original. The recessed opening in the back of the fireplace was the opening to the bee-hive bake oven, which would have been covered by the porch (now the family room). The Civil War era bayonet was found by Mrs. Brant in her flower beds. The dough box belonged to Mrs. Brants' great-grandmother. (Most of the antiques in the house were collected by Mrs. Brant.)