Desk, School

Object Name:

Desk, School

Object ID:

1966.037

Place of Origin:

New Hampshire (probably)

Date:

1815-1840

Description:

School Desk, used in Concord, N.H. (District #5, Beech Hill, West Concord, which operated 1816-1885). Two seats, with desk attached. Back of bench and desk are formed by a single board. Desk has a slanted writing surface, the upper edge of which is beveled at back to form a horizontal ledge. The shared back extends above the ledge. A shelf 5" below the writing surface forms a compartment. Bench has a skirt below, slightly overhanging seat. Skirt has beveled lower edge. End boards of both desk and bench are narrower at bottom than top. Ends of desk curve in toward bottom while those of bench cut back at an angle. Most of the outer edges are rounded. Painted yellow-brown; paint is somewhat worn. The unpainted strip at bottom of each end, together with remaining nails, indicates bench/desk was built into the floor of the building. Several nicks, gouges, scratches, pencil marks and inscriptions. There are also illegible chalk inscriptions and ink stains. Long cracks on writing surface, shared back, and end. Repair at one end. Probably machine planed.

Material:

Wood

Dimensions:

H-32 W-39 D-28 inches

Provenance:

School bench from the District # 5 School, Concord, NH, (school organized in 1816 and discontinued in 1885). Purchased by donor in 1955 from the S. O. Sargent family where it had been stored after the school building was demolished. The S. O. Sargent family is said to have bought the land where the schoolhouse stood.

Credit Line:

Gift of Doris F. Purvis

People:

Sargent, S. O., Purvis, Doris F. (1899-1988)