SLEEPING PORCH
Sleeping porches were designed to provide a cool, semi-enclosed space for sleeping on hot summer nights. Imagine the cool evening breeze coming in across the Fox River and picture an evening view of the gardens and Fabyan Windmill. Walking into the sleeping porch through the French doors, you are sure to see and hear how the floor changes from wood to a type of metal. The metal, known as ternplate, was primarily used as a roofing material and may have been from the original farmhouse’s roof. It appears that this porch was not originally fully enclosed; note the shingling on the walls and the drain by the northeast window.
The Fabyans’ pet monkeys, Mike, Molly, and Patsy, were housed in the sleeping porch during the winter months, and this floor material would have been easy to clean during the monkeys’ occupation. The hooks in the ceiling may have been added by owners after the Fabyan era; it is unknown since no interior photos during the Fabyan era exist.
The small enclosure on the south side of the porch contains the top of the circular stairway added by the Forest Preserve District.
Cross the hall to the West Guest Bedroom.
