Memories of the Hinchman Home

By Renea Bennett

The Hinchmans where very sweet down to earth people, Mrs. Hinchman used to have a Hat Shop and made hats and Mr. Hinchman was Feather Weight Golden Glove Boxer when he was young and he had a small photo of himself as a boxer on the mantel in the Family room (common room) off the kitchen. When mother would visit Mrs. Hinchman, Mr. Hinchman would show me things in the house.

When you went in the back door, on the side facing the wall of Central Jr. High, you were going into the kitchen, it was not very big, and there was a table straight from the door entrance. You went to the left to go to the basement, straight ahead to the hallway, just as your entered the hallway, to the right was the family room were Mr. Hinchman like to set and watch television. The hallway leads to the Dining, staircase, front door, and the Piano Room; it was the round room. They had a Baby Grand Piano in there and wooden glass cabinets with porcelain figurines that Mrs. Hinchman had made. They were porcelain Baby dolls of all kinds and she had a special one that looked like a real baby, she had made all the clothes that they were dressed in. My favorite was the cabinet that had the ballerinas’ in it! They were around three feet tall and it was a male ballerina posed holding the hand of the female posed on her toe. The tutu was handmade, then dipped it the porcelain. Mrs. Hinchman used a needle to open all the holes while on the ballerina then fired again. You could also enter the family room. I thought I was something because I could get in the broom closet in the kitchen and go along the wall and to the basement and get out of the house! They had bedrooms upstairs and I remember the round room being like a room for a princess, but don’t remember details. I stayed downstairs most of the time. They had beautiful chandeliers and the carpets were handmade oriental rugs, the rugs also went up the stairs. Beautiful heavy wood work and the staircase was wide, a large landing before coming down the rest of the stairs, so you could stop and make an entrance just like in the movies. The dining room had very elegant dining room suit, the china cabinets were full, and on top of the she had china painted the busts of people from India. There were more but that is what I remember. When you went to the basement the first room to the right was the room that had a very long table where she did all her ceramics. I love that room it was full of all types of paintbrushes, clay tools, paints and the smell of turpentine. I loved spending time with Mrs. Hinchman, she wore her hair twisted up like Katherine Hepburn, and always had on a smock that she sometimes cleaned her brushes. The basement had three rooms with shelves full of ceramic molds and two or three kilns for firing. She had a bedroom and bathroom down in the basement that she used when she could not go upstairs. The bedroom was nice the bed was set upon a carpeted platform; I remember that there was a lot of marble. The bathroom had gold faucets and fixtures and the bathtub and sink were made of marble. When I was young, I felt like I was in a palace. Mother was friends with the Hinchmans years and they traded Iris and Roses. When we would be in the basement working on ceramics, I remember Mrs. Hinchman talking about one day the City of Logan would have a city park because they were going to give it to the city. Mrs. Hinchman wanted the house and property used as an art gallery, and to help inspire local artist and musicians.

I remember Mrs. Hinchman making a ceramic Bull for my brother to take to the Boy Scout Jamboree in New Mexico to present to President Kennedy. She made me a Santa Clause. Mr. Hinchman always called me Bright Eyes.

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