What was a "dog-room" in 1847 (or 1773)?

[Joel S. Berson]

Yes, there's some context that might help; it certainly didn't
suggest to me "a room for a dog".  May I refer you to the source,
"Stono: Documenting and Interpreting a Southern Slave Revolt", ed.
Mark M. Smith (Columbia, S.C., 2005), page 40?  Or should I
transcribe some context, such as the previous two sentences:

"The room into which Mr. Verney conducted his guest was on the same
floor with the dining-room and parlors, as they were called in those
days before drawing-rooms.  It had the look of having been intended,
and of having been formerly used, for the reception of company."

A little later, the visitor sees two or three family portraits on the walls.

Joel

At 12/18/2005 10:21 PM, you wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
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>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Jesse Sheidlower <jester at PANIX.COM>
>Subject:      Re: What was a "dog-room" in 1847 (or 1773)?
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>On Sat, Dec 17, 2005 at 02:49:56PM -0500, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> > In a story published in America in 1847, I have the following sentence:
> >
> > "The furniture, though evidently of an age anterior to that of the
> > inhabited part of the house, was of a style and description better
> > befitting what our ancestors used to call a "dog-room" than a bed-chamber."
> >
> > The story itself is set in 1773, and describes a house in South Carolina.
> >
> > "Dog-room" is not in OED2.  What does it mean?
>
>It looks like it means 'a room for a dog'. Is there some additional
>context that would help?
>
>Jesse Sheidlower
>OED