The second and third floors of the Callaway home opened to the public on May 1, 2010. Since opening, the billiard room on the third floor is a favorite for many of our visitors. Within this room there is a remarkable piece of furniture in which we found a letter written to Fuller E. Callaway Jr. and dated May 28, 1967. This letter is signed but the signature, unfortunately, is not legible so we do not know who the letter was written by. Following is a verbatim copy of that letter…

“The ‘Virgin Mary Cabinet’ was not made before the year 1818 but the centre figure of the ‘Virgin Mary’ is 15th Century. I found the history, written by my grandfather, on a paper which he must have stuck to the bottom of the drawer…”

“This cabinet was made up at Isleham Cambs. (Cambridgeshire) in nov 1887 by Joseph Hall Callaway then minister of the General Baptist Church. The various parts collected at times and places being facts of history, skill and diligence. The panels of doors, drawer and centre figure in black came out of the Church of St. Petroc, Bodin, Cornwall (date 15th cty.) The oak twisted pillars were secured by me in 1874 on the alteration of the premises at the corner of Maryleborne Lane, London – being the stair rails of The House Turpin left on his famous ride. The door and glass framing made out of pieces of the old door of the demolished Manor house at Isleham. The crest I made with a piece of walnut procured at Newmarket. The shelves from fen cedar? bog yew. The top and ends I brought from Wisbeach by train. The structural parts made of the packing box that brought from Cornwall the carved work, the top rails of bog oak from Isleham Fen.”