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Grand Entrance Hall
At the time the house was constructed, the heavy bronze doors which grace the foyer (and a similar pair which open from the Library to the porte-cochere) cost $14,000. The original imported rug was designed to match the elaborately molded plastered ceiling. The fretwork panels in the stairwells serve as echo chambers for the four keyboard Kimball organ in the Music Room. Slipcovers, which the owner never removed, hid the Italian velvet draperies (this is true for all the draperies in the mansion). The massive bronze chandelier, which was designed in Europe, was made in three separate sections. The wall panels, representative of mythology, are hand painted.
Music Room
On the right of the Grand Entrance Hall is the Music Room. The Show cabinet on the fireplace wall encased two Stradivarius violins and other quality musical instruments. Factory workers worked all one summer on the installation of the Kimball reproducing organ. It could be played manually from the console, or operated through the use of specially recorded paper rolls, by remote control, from six stations elsewhere in the house. There are 100 music rolls in the Chinese lacquer cabinet. At that time, the organ cost approximately $55,000. Experts say it would cost more than four times that amount to build now. The walls are burled mahogany panels with ceramic trim. The mantel is made of imported marble. An Aubusson carpet (now replaced) complemented the paneled walls. The crystal chandeliers and wall sconces were made in Czechoslovakia.
Library
Steps lead from the Music Room to the Library. There were 7,000 volumes here before they were removed by Mrs. Yount when she moved away from Spindletop Hall. The present volumes are gifts to The Club at UK's Spindletop Hall from members. The grey stone Tudor mantel was removed from Trentham Hall, Staffordshire, England. The bronze doors open onto the porte-cochere. An oriental Persian rug, reported to have cost over $40,000, originally lay over the hardwood floor. The steps, too, were formerly covered in matching carpet. The stairs on the right of the mantel lead to the Elizabethan Living Room (Oak Room).
Elizabethan Living Room
(Oak Room)
This was formerly Mrs. Yount's living room. The walls are hand carved oak. The plastered ceiling is a reproduction of an Elizabethan Room in an English country home. The room is 30 x 60 feet and originally had a green wall-to-wall seamless carpet woven in Scotland. A carpet of this width was not woven in America at that time. The massive chandelier and sconces are solid bronze. Hanging on the north wall is a Flemish Renaissance Tapestry of the sixteenth century titled "Alexander's Conquerors. Etched in the mantel are the words "East, West, Home's Best".
Dining Room
(Roxie's)
The room's decor is gold leaf. All the original furniture had black marble tops. There are still a few pieces left. The mantel is imported marble, over 200 years old. It was in Otto Kahn's mansion in New York and was purchased when that mansion was torn down. The rug formerly in this room was woven in Czechoslovakia and was designed to match the elaborately molded ceiling. "Spindletop Hall, 1937" (the completion date of the house), was woven into the border of the rug. The glass case contained displays of Mrs. Yount's silver and fine china (only $10,000 worth was taken from it at any one time to be polished). The case now contains, in addition to various ceramic pieces, several trophies won by the Yount show horses. The two doors leading into the kitchen are photo-electric.
French Powder Room
(Ladies' Room)
Presently the Ladies' Room at the left of the Grand Entrance is the French Powder Room. Gold leaf and green silk brocade highlight this room's decor. The mirror is French. An Aubusson carpet covered nearly all of the parquet floor.
Veranda
The Veranda is available for outdoor dining as well as Wedding ceremonies on the back lawn.
Adam Suite
(Manion Suite)
This suite was formerly occupied by Mrs. Yount's daughter, Mildred. After Mildred's marriage, the suite became known as the Manion Suite. It consists of a sitting room, bedroom, dressing room, and bath. The suite was furnished in the elaborate Adam furniture, with hand inlaid designs. Most of this furniture was destroyed by a fire in 1972. The chandeliers and sconces are sterling silver. The rugs were seamless and woven in Scotland. The shower in the bath has a special heat control. When set on a certain temperature, the heat remains at this temperature. The attractively colored bathroom fixtures and tile are those originally installed when the mansion was built.
Louis XVI Suite
(Yount Suite)
This suite was occupied by Mrs. Yount. It consists of a sitting room, bedroom, dressing room, and bath. Furnishings were from the Louis XVI period. The room is exquisite, with crystal and bronze chandeliers. In the sitting room the furniture is ornately accented with numerous Dresden China Flowers. This chandelier and the wall sconces were designed by Mrs. Yount for the family home in Beaumont, Texas. The original seamless velvet cut carpets were also woven in Scotland. In both Mrs. Yount's suite and her daughter's suite, there are rugs for the bathroom that fit perfectly around the bathtubs. Every cabinet and drawer has a lock. Mrs. Yount's private vault is in the small dressing room connecting both suites.
Mr. Grant’s Room
(Board of Director's Room)
This room was occupied by Mrs. Yount's third husband Cape Grant. The original furniture came from the Yount home in Beaumont. It contained a massive Jefferson Davis bed with a matching bedside foot ladder. Currently, this room is used by the Spindletop Board of Directors.
The Colonial Room
(Kentucky Room)
On the right of the Grand Entrance Hall is the Music Room. The Show cabinet on the fireplace wall encased two Stradivarius violins and other quality musical instruments. Factory workers worked all one summer on the installation of the Kimball reproducing organ. It could be played manually from the console, or operated through the use of specially recorded paper rolls, by remote control, from six stations elsewhere in the house. There are 100 music rolls in the Chinese lacquer cabinet. At that time, the organ cost approximately $55,000. Experts say it would cost more than four times that amount to build now. The walls are burled mahogany panels with ceramic trim. The mantel is made of imported marble. An Aubusson carpet (now replaced) complemented the paneled walls. The crystal chandeliers and wall sconces were made in Czechoslovakia.
Downstairs Foyer
(Formerly Saddlehorse Lounge Foyer)
Twin stairways from the Grand Entrance Hall lead to the Saddle Horse Lounge. This room is decorated in red and blue -- the colors of the Spindletop stable. The room is accented with rustic furnishings made from harness and wagon parts. The chandeliers are made from large carriage lights fastened to wooden spindles. The trim contains replicas of horse heads and horseshoes. To the left is the men’s lounge (formerly the valet and barbershop). Aisle cloths on the stairway were left in place, even when guests were in the house. The walls are of worm-eaten chestnut. The elevator and a service room, including the mechanical room and the fur valet, are down the hall to the left. (Service area -- no admittance.)
Kentucky Tap Room
(The “Chil” Zone for Children)
Adjoining the Saddle Horse Lounge is the Kentucky Tap Room. The paneling is worming chestnut and the masonry is pale red and green stone from the Yount property in Colorado. The bar is original. The room to the left, which is now the children’s area, was the wine cellar with wine racks from floor to ceiling and far left area was the original the pool room.
New Orleans Ballroom
Adjoining the bar is the New Orleans Ballroom, representative of a street in New Orleans. Brick arches line the sides of the3 hardwood parquet dance floor. The dance floor was built with a slight give, to keep dancers from tiring.
Dog Grooming Room
(The Pool Room)
The original pool table is in the “Dog Room”. Visitors’ dogs were kept there and Mrs. Yount’s five pedigreed Pomeranians were regularly bathed there..
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