8 NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
a “AY fags ~~, ~~, a 
Y) yy King Hooper House—Marhlehead yy | y 
Se Built in 1743; Wall Paper on Parlor is Hand-Painted and Was Hung One Hundred and Sixty-Three Years Ago yy, 4 
Nims came into possession of the homestead in 
Marblehead, which is one of the historical buildings 
in that town. It was built in 1743 by a sea captain, who 
was designated by the name of “King” Hooper on ac- 
aS the death of her parents Mrs. Anna Lawrence 
KING HOOPER HOUSE 
count of his extreme benevolence to the people. His 
portrait is now in the museum at Marblehead. 
The woodwork of this house, including the carved 
PAINTING ON WALL KING HOOPER HOUSE 
stair rails, was brought over from England, then put to- 
gether, as woodworking was not then done in this coun- 
try. All through the house are colonial glass doorknobs 
and the large fireplaces which are the delight of the curio- 
loving folk. Exquisite pieces of mahogany and choice 
bits of historic china fill the rooms. 
The parlor of this mansion is known as the “Oriental 
room” and Miss Grant says, derives its name from the 
quaint paper which covers its walls. This paper was 
brought from Italy and placed on the walls 163 years 
ago and was painted by hand. It has only been cleaned 
once and then with bread crumbs. The design is a 
panoramic scene of a pilgrimage to the famous mosque 
of Omar in India. ‘The worshippers are coming in boats, 
on camels and afoot. The palm trees are three feet in 
height in the foreground and diminish in the fine per- 
spective. Each face of the dozens of figures is different 
trom the others and every stroke of the brush can be 
seen where the artist has laid on his colors, which are 
MARBLE FIREPLACE, VALUE 
OVER $1,000 
mellowed by time, but do not impress one as being faded. 
The coloring, Miss Grant says, is pleasing, the blue and 
gray in the sky blending finely with the brilliant yellows, 
reds, greens and purples which the Oriental artist so 
dearly loves. As one enters the room the effect is de- 
cidedly artistic, and not crude, as one so often meets with 
in the old time decorations. 
In one side of this room is a hole made by a ball 
from the musket in the hands of a Revolutionary soldier. 
in one of the guest bedrooms is the name of J. Howe 
and the date 1778, young Howe being a guest in the 
house and an aid-de-camp of George Washington, who 
was in Marblehead at this time. Young Howe afterward 
married the daughter of his host. 
(Continued on Page 9, Column 1.) 
