Chest

Object Name:

Chest

Object ID:

1983.002.31

Place of Origin:

New Hampshire (probably)

Date:

1750-1790

Description:

Chest, six-board. Pine; mortise and tenon construction, with pegs and wrought nails. Painted and grained, red and dark brown (including lid interior, where the finish is not faded). Front and back are long boards; end boards extend below the front and back; bottom of end boards are cut in a pointed arch shape, the sides of which form the chest's four feet. The chest's top is hinged to the box with hand-wrought pin hinges. Iron lock, attached with hand-wrought nails (no evidence of an escutcheon). Edges of lid are rounded. Two support rails on underside of lid. Well is 16" deep, with a compartment on the upper left side; compartment is missing its lid. Evidence of yellow wash on the well interior. Bottom board has a rough exterior.
Note tacked to lid interior reads: "SAWYER FAMILY PAPERS / Charles H. Sawyer, Gov. of N.H: 1887-89. / Chiefly from Middlebrook Farm and assembled / by his children Elizabeth C. and James / Cowan Sawyer. / C. H. Sawyer June 1968".

Material:

Wood
Pine
Metal
Iron

Dimensions:

H-26.75 W-49 D-18.25 inches

Provenance:

From the George Ffrost Homestead, Durham, NH. Donor's are descendants of the Ffrost family of Dover and Durham, N.H. Note that Frost (Ffrost) manuscripts were stored in this chest when acquired by NHHS; manuscripts have since been transferred to the manuscripts collection.

Credit Line:

Gift of George F. Sawyer and Charles H. Sawyer

People:

Sawyer, James Cowan (1872-1944), Sawyer, Elizabeth (1880- ), Sawyer, Charles H. (1840-1908), Sawyer, George F. (1902-1992), Sawyer, Charles H. (1906-2005)