"Middle room from hall, cloudy day. 1 1/2 mins., 20 ft., 9:10 am Monday, June 4, 1894." Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Historical Society.

Perhaps the liveliest room at Clear Comfort was the middle parlor, which served as the setting for casual conversation, games, and music. Photographs show that the room held a stereopticon. Here family and visitors could view stereographs, many of which the well-traveled Austens had brought back from trips in the United States, Europe, and the Far East. The middle parlor was often the backdrop for Alice's humorous staged photographs.

 

"Poker game. Julie Bredt & Self, Mr. Gilman & C. Wildrick. Wednesday, September 21, 1892." Photo courtesy of the Staten Island Historical Society.

This room, along with what is now the entry hall, was the original one-room farmhouse. It was built using a late Medieval half-timber technique. A plexiglass-covered cutout in the adjoining dining room reveals that the original exterior walls were constructed of large timber posts with an in-filling of bricks, clay, and mortar nogging that was then plastered and whitewashed. In the existing ceiling beams one can see where the large braces that supported the beams were removed during later renovations. The half-timbered farmhouse, not well suited to Staten Island's climate, was in a state of decay and required extensive renovation at the time of the Austen purchase.

In addition to shoring up the foundation and repairing the original walls, John Austen added some Victorian features to this room. Most notable are the corner cabinets constructed of stained and varnished oak, featuring mirrored door panels outlined with gold-leafed moldings. He also added a full length window, similar to the parlor windows, to serve as a door to the piazza.