Talk:Theodore Swann residence
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Misconceptions about the Norman Hall
- Some sources have it that Swann actually transported the great hall from England and reconstructed it. I have seen no documentary or physical evidence for this rumor.
- Although Satterfield (1976) identifies the source as Rochester Castle, that castle's great hall has been generally in disrepair since it was besieged by King John in the 13th century. The surviving hall of Hedingham Castle, identified in Griffith and Satterfield (1999) was obviously the actual model for Swann's Norman Hall (called "Stone Room" in WKD's plans). Mercifully, the original remains intact in Essex, where it is is considered the finest surviving Norman great hall in England.
- Some sources mislabel the Norman Hall "Chaucer Hall", or apply that name to the entire house. It seems more likely that "the Chaucer Room" was another name for the library, which featured Chaucer's characters in the stained glass windows. --Dystopos 20:19, 27 September 2006 (PDT)