Any good Victorian home would have a castor set on the dining room table. The glass containers held condiments and were most often placed in the center of the table. If there was a servant present, the castor set might be placed on the sideboard and was passed to the diners.
A high, ornate handle in the center made passing the set easy. The castor set found at the May-Stringer includes cruets, with cut glass stoppers, for vinegar and oil. The silver topped salt and pepper shakers are as tall as the cruets. There is also a short, again silver topped, container for mustard. Of course, it may have been used for horseradish if the meal warranted it. The glass is beautifully etched and gleams in its silver frame.
A simple frame for just salt and pepper may also have been part of the kitchen table set up. Not many of us have an elegant table setting or servants! However, being able to see how people lived in another era might make you sit up straight at your next family dinner!
The Museum Schedules!
The May-Stringer tours on Tuesday – Saturday from 11 am – 3 pm –
352-799-0129
The 1885 Depot tours on Friday – Saturday from noon – 3pm –
352-799-4766
The Countryman One Room Schoolhouse is open on Saturdays from noon – 3pm – 352-515-3054
