First Floor Friday

The public is invited to view firsthand how history is fascinating at The W.H. Stark House’s First Floor Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 21. Guests will visit the first floor of the Queen Anne style home, completed in 1895, which is furnished and decorated with the Stark family’s original pieces.

An additional feature of First Floor Fridays is the opportunity to view the special exhibition “Brilliant: Cut Glass from The W.H. Stark House,” located on the second floor of the Carriage House. This exhibit includes Miriam Lutcher Stark’s collection of American Brilliant Cut Glass made from 1876-1917.

“A special aspect of First Floor Friday is viewing the cut glass collection up close in the Carriage House and then seeing other pieces displayed in the dining room,” said Executive Director of Stark Art & History Venues Trina Nelson Thomas. “The Starks’ American Brilliant Cut Glass collection features a wide array of pieces from vases to a glove box, and almond bowls to a lemonade serving set.”

At First Floor Friday, the public is invited to walk the grounds and view the first floor of the historic home, which includes the library, music room, dining room and breakfast room/office, and the Carriage House for the second-floor cut glass exhibit. Materials for a self-guided experience are provided for all visitors. Underwritten by the Stark Foundation, timed tickets are available at the Carriage House on a first-come, first-served basis. This experience is appropriate for individuals and groups of six people or less. Please note these spaces are not wheelchair or stroller accessible.

Entrance to The W.H. Stark House, 610 Main Ave. in Orange, is free of charge, and the last entry is at 1:30 p.m. Future dates for First Floor Fridays are Aug. 11, Sept. 22, Oct. 27 and Dec. 1.