Before the 1824 alteration, part of this room contained a kitchen with a large fireplace and a beehive oven. Removal of this fireplace opened the space, creating one room which initially served two functions: a breakfast or morning room in the summer and a kitchen in the winter. By the 1860's the family enclosed the summer kitchen and this room became the year-round dining room for the first time.

The family dining room (in its various locations) provided for meals enlivened by the presence of children (sitting in chairs that matched those used by the adults), alongside the sparkling luminaries entertained by the family (Lafayette, Audubon and the Alcott and Peale families all dined here).

By 1900 the room had more Victorian flavor, with the cupboards painted to resemble mahogany, with straw mats and scattered oriental carpets on the floors. About this time the tallcase clock was bolted to the wall with special directions from Jane Reuben Haines (1832-1911) that it should never leave the house.(It hasn't and it still works.) By the mid-20th century the family reverted to the light colors used today, creating a light-filled feeling that is still conducive to lively conversation and warm hospitality.