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Haney House Living Room / Parlour
There are many portraits of the family in this room. The large photos over the piano are of Thomas and Anne, taken in 1910. The oval photograph is of Thomas' Mother, Bridget, who was widowed in 1849 with seven children, with Thomas the eldest at age eight. Little is known about her or how she raised her family, but it would be an interesting story to be sure.
The large portrait on the wall is of Mary Florence who died of diphtheria at the age of 11 in 1886. This was painted of Mary after she died, and photos of her helped the painting to be completed. There is a lot of symbolism in the painting, and the eyes seem to follow you wherever you go.
The upright grand piano arrived via steamship circa 1900 from New Westminster, and the Violin was played by Elizabeth Mary Hawley's (nee Haney) son, James. It was restored for the house by a member of the Haney Old Time Fiddlers who played it for visitors when the house opened as a museum in 1981.
The wood paneling is of cottonwood, and was imported from Washington State. Today cottonwood is only used for pulp and paper. It is believed that it was added to the house after 1911. The bookcase was made for the Haneys by a local craftsman circa 1930, and it is excellently constructed as the shelves have not bowed at all. Books inside the case all belonged to the Haneys and you can see a plethora of different genres, from history to sociology to fiction.