Reception Room
The large painting on the west wall of the Main Reception room was painted in the 1860’s by an itinerate painter who was commissioned by a local hotel. The work is a copy of a painting in France by the painter William Bouguereau. It was identified as a Bouguereau copy by an art restoration expert from Chicago who, when first viewing the painting said, “Ah, its composition is so much more sophisticated that the execution…I think it must be a copy…perhaps a Bouguereau!” With that as a lead we soon found a reproduction of the original, a copy of which used to be found in the top drawer of the cabinet beneath the painting.
The wooden chest beneath the painting in the Main Reception Room is an antique Bidermeier chest which was given to the CAC by Sam Maxwell of Wood Stock Shop.
The room was last painted in 2005 when the roof was replaced. The color was chosen from a layer of paint found behind a radiator. The trim is real gold leaf.