Chair
- Object Name:
- Chair
- Object ID:
- 1920.003
- Place of Origin:
- New Hampshire
- Date:
- 1815-1835
- Description:
- Arm Chair. "Arrow-back" Windsor type with crest rail having straight lower edge, slightly arched upper edge and semi-circular cut-outs at ends creating a pair of dowels at each end which are tenoned through stiles; turned, cylindrical stiles having a ring turning 5 inches from seat, above which fronts of stiles are flattened, curving back at top to form terminals often known as "rabbit ears;" five vertical "arrow-shaped" spindles, turned at upper and lower ends, with ring turning just below "arrow." Slightly hollowed U-shaped white pine seat. Stile and spindles tenoned into back of seat following its rounded outline, stile being tenoned through seat. Decorative groove following curved line of spindles at their inner edge. Four turned and slightly splayed legs, each plain, cylindrical, tapered at ends and encircled by three evenly spaced grooves. Four plain, turned, tapering stretchers--front, back and sides--each having two decorative grooves, except for front stretcher which is a replacement and is tenoned through front legs. Two S-curved arms with rolled ends, each supported by two cylindrical spindles, front ones being larger, tenoned through seat and having ring turnings, all four spindles tenoned through arms. Painted black over earlier varnish which was blistered badly. Sterling silver plaque on face of crest rail with script engraving: "FROM / DANIEL WEBSTER'S OFFICE / BOSCAWEN, N.H." Pencil inscription and paper label on bottom of seat with same information. "E.E.CLARKE / BRISTOL N.H." stamped four times on bottom of seat. Paper label with printed figure "313" on back of seat. Four holes, in rectangular formation on back of crest rail, perhaps indicating presence of an earlier plaque. Nails driven through seat to reinforce stile and main arm supports. Numerous small nails driven into top of arms near end. Several also at top of left stile, which has a piece missing from the right edge. Rubber pad on bottom of each leg.
- Material:
- Wood
Silver - Dimensions:
- H-33.6 W-20.75 D-23.4 inches
- Provenance:
- According to oral tradition and written notes, the chair was used by Daniel Webster in his Boscawen law office, 1805-1807. The chair was bought by Mr. Clark of Farmington at auction. It was owned by Edwin Edgar Clarke (1847-1920), whose name appears on seat bottom, a harness maker and auctioneer working in Bristol, NH, c. 1875 and subsequently used in his shop. The chair was bought from Clarke around 1880 by Leander H. Twombly (1836-1924), who sold it to Mrs. Ella M. Parker (1847-1941) of Dover in 1904. She donated it to the Northam Colonist Historical Society of Dover in 1920 with the stipulation that it be given to the NHHS, which was done April 1920.
- Credit Line:
- Gift of the Northam Colonist Historical Society
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