Hephzibah House Guest House
We offer guest house accommodations for people involved in
Christian ministry as pastors, missionaries, or laymen who hold
positions in Christian ministries or churches. Please go
to 'Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)' for specific information or call 212-787-6150
for reservations. To view the inside of rooms please go to Hephzibah House Guest
House pictures under 'Gallery'.
Hephzibah House was built in 1882.
On the wall in our parlor you will find a copy of the architect’s
original building plan.
This was found wrapped in newspapers in one of the closets in the
House. There is also a
framed copy of the Bill of Sale, when the house was purchased by the Hephzibah
House Corporation.
On the original plan you will notice that
the building has only four
floors, while the actual building has five.
The fifth floor was added after the original building was
completed. It was used to house the servants
of the single family who lived here.
Those servants included a butler, a housekeeper, a cook,
and a
nursemaid housed in what is now room #34. The nursery was
in room #35. There
were six rooms on the fifth floor housing those servants, and three other general maids.
You may notice buttons on some of the doorways on the main floor.
These were used to summon the servants.
(I have been trying to use those buttons all the years of
our life here in the
House…but alas…no one comes.)
On the main floor, originally, the sliding
doors in the entry hallway into our parlor were kept closed and
guests were ushered down the hall and into a sitting room
(later called a living room).
If you were a very important person, those
doors would have been opened and you would have been seated in
the parlor. The parlor was always reserved for important
guests.
The middle room (where the piano is) was
the family dining room. The cabinets in that room, plus what
was the pantry behind it, held the china, silver pieces, linens, etc which the maids
used for meals. In
the little pantry room behind this room, there was a dumb waiter.
This was removed in the early 1980’s to make space for a small
bathroom, since there was none on the main floor,
That little pantry is now used for office material
and storage, but in the original house it was used to store the best china.
The back room of the main floor was originally a library.
The shelves, fireplace, and wood are of
awesome beauty, and until the 1980’s this was kept strictly for
use as a library.
However, as the ministry grew, that room was used more extensively for
office space.
Hephzibah House has a European look and feel.
In the
decorating of the early brownstones, tiles, carvings,
and the fireplace
decorations were imported.
Along with these, many
of the artists came from Europe and were
the ones who crafted the beautiful ceilings, mirrors,
and hand-cut woodwork patterns.
Take a look at the ceiling in the Parlor
room and notice that all the crafting was done by
hand.
Great care is given when these ceilings need painting.
All painting is done by hand
so that paint will not fill in the tiny spaces,
destroying the beautiful cherubs and swirl patterns.
The House has several different
kinds of woods…mahogany, cherry, even some walnut.
How wonderful that over the years, this House
has been kept in beautiful condition with diligent care for
the preservation and enjoyment
of all of us today, over one
humdred years later.
Hephzibah House Ministry was formally founded
in 1893, but moved into this building in 1926.
From that time,
all Hephzibah House has
worked carefully to retain the beauty of the
building and the contents, much of which were
donated pieces of furniture from people who loved
the Hephzibah Ministry at that time.
The house has many antique pieces, even
some of the original glassware used by Hephzibah
House in the early 1920s
Hephzibah House remains diligent in
continuing to preserve and protect this beautiful historic
building.
