The United States Daughters of 1812

The United States Daughters of 1812, a women's service organization, was chartered nationally in 1892. An Arkansas chapter was founded by Mrs. John Barrow with a small membership.

Hardly any of the group's furnishings date from the period they commemorate, and even more unique is that they are almost all examples of hallway furniture. Indeed, since 1980, they have been displayed in the hallways of the West Wing stairwell. This is perhaps fitting given that in the 1800s hallways were often—quite literally—the central feature in many homes. It was here that visitors were first greeted—often by servants—and awaited admittance to the house proper. The practice of placing exceedingly formal, and often equally uncomfortable, chairs in entry halls is a throwback to this custom. There was an elaborate etiquette determining who was received and under what circumstances. In many cases, an unsolicited visitor would be expected to leave a "calling card" and wait to be invited back before gaining entrance. Hallways often had a small table to receive such cards.

There was always a hall tree or coat rack of some sort, and hallways often had mirrored consoles for checking one's appearance and to bring additional light into dim spaces. The West Wing stairwell features an unusual console with a mirror at both the top and bottom. In earlier years, Old State House docents described the lower feature as a "petticoat mirror" and said ladies used it to see if their petticoats were showing. However, this is completely untrue. Actually, in 19th-century America, owning furniture with mirrors, especially such a large piece as this one, was a symbol of status and wealth.