Henry W. Wright's House
People who possess old pieces of furniture often have very erroneous
ideas as to their real age and call everything "Colonial" for want of a
better name. They assume, that is, if they have not made a careful study
of the subject, that anything belonging to their great grandmother must
be at least two hundred years old. But, for instance, sideboards were
not made two hundred years ago, and Chippendale never designed one; the
nearest he came to it was a serving-table. People get an impression that
he included this piece of furniture in his productions, but they are
wrong in their assumption.
The revival of interest in "antiques" has caused many an heirloom that
has been relegated to attic or storehouse to be brought out, renovated,
and given a prominent place. Can we assign to each ancient article an
approximate date or maker, it becomes much more valuable than the
daintiest piece of up-to-date furniture. Worm-holes are a sign of age
and a proof of guarantee, that is, if the pieces are family possessions.
There is so much cunning workmanship in remodeled furniture that this
does not apply to every bit, though apparently original. It must be
remembered that very few furnishings were brought over by the colonists,
and the early houses were very scantily supplied.
The oldest furniture was made of oak; it was very heavy and showed more
or less elaboration in carving. Chests made at this early period are
often found in families where they have been carefully treasured since
they were brought over the sea packed with clothing.
The three leading cabinetmakers were Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and
Sheraton. Chippendale was the earliest but was not appreciated until
after his death. His masterpieces, which combined the Chinese, French,
and Dutch models with ideas originated in his own brain, were so
perfectly constructed that we find them in a fine state of preservation
even to-day.
Lighter and more dainty in character were the designs of Hepplewhite,
who cultivated a freedom of line such as was adopted by his predecessor,
but who banished the Chippendale heaviness. The Prince of Wales feather
was a favorite design of his. Carved drapery, the belle-flower, and
wheat were often used by him. A distinguishing mark was usually given to
the backs of his chairs, which are either oval, heart, or shield-shaped.
They were finished in japanned work and often inlaid in light and dark
wood. The legs were generally much more slender than the Chippendale and
often ended in what is known as a spade-foot.
Sheraton, who succeeded him, took advantage of the ideas of his
forerunners and revealed a still more delicate touch, although he
retained many of Hepplewhite's ideas which he strengthened and improved.
The shield is rarely if ever found in a chair of his make, which can be
distinguished by its rectangular back and its slender uprights, ranging
in number from four to seven. The legs show a great many different
styles, the best being straight, while carved, fluted, and twisted ones
are also found. The general trend of fancy in those days was towards
light, elegant designs and showy decorations. Sheraton indulged his
fancy for brilliant coloring in the most gorgeously painted decorations,
combining them with inlay and carving. Next he introduced white and
gold, following the French style, and still later the brass inlay so
fashionable in Napoleon's day. Caned work was used for seats and was
varied by coverings of needlework, morocco, striped and variegated
horsehair, damasks, and fine printed silks. The curved piece which
Sheraton introduced about 1800 remained the favorite chair pattern for a
century, although it lost the brass mounts which he at first used. There
is not much danger of confounding the three great masters, for each
produced an entirely different style of furniture.
After the French Revolution, the furniture became markedly different in
style; Greek models were once more popular, and the tripod became a
favorite support. Coarse woods and mahogany were freely used and were
carved and profusely gilded.
The Empire furniture which is so popular to-day was heavy and stiff in
its early period, particularly so when of English make, but under
American manipulation the beauty of the wood showed to the best
advantage. Yet there is a certain appeal in its solidity and
massiveness. When the darkened mahogany came into fashion an opportunity
arose for the revival of brass and wood that lent charm to the court of
the Empress Josephine. Few good examples of the Empire style are found
in remodeled farmhouses.
Old furniture is most interesting, and if you intend to furnish your
remodeled farmhouse with it, do not fail to make a careful study of the
subject before attempting it. It covers a wide field of makers, styles,
and decorations, but the modern home affords ample scope for the
employment of these old pieces, many of which have been brought down
from the attic.
When Salem was in her highest and proudest days of mercantile
prosperity, when her wharves were bustling scenes of unlading and
shipping, when her harbor was a gathering place of quaintly rigged
vessels, and great East-Indiamen labored under clouds of canvas, then
from the holds of these cumbersome ships were discharged cargoes of rich
furniture, teakwood, and sandalwood brought from every land. The wealth
of these incoming treasures has made the quiet city prominent even until
to-day. Here may be found many old heirlooms, and in the homes of the
descendants of old shipmasters we frequently find rare pieces. These
show to advantage in various remodeled farmhouses that have been
adopted as all-the-year-round homes by the last generation.
[Illustration: THE HENRY W. WRIGHT HOUSE]
Many fine old pieces are found in the home of Mr. Henry W. Wright at
Danvers, Massachusetts. Some of them are of exceptional value and rare
examples such as are seldom seen even in the homes of collectors. The
farmhouse itself stands close to the road, a simple, plain,
unostentatious building, yet showing good lines and careful treatment.
The soft gray of the exterior and the white trim blend harmoniously with
the green of the grass and the bright-colored flowers of the little
garden. At the front of the house at each side stand tall elms that cast
a grateful shade over the old farmhouse.
The entrance porch has been made square, its lattice, designed for the
support of vines, taking away the plain look of the exterior. The
windows are well spaced, and the small panes have been retained. At the
side of the house a porch has been thrown out which can be glassed in as
a living-room or sun-parlor during the winter and used as an out-of-door
veranda during the summer months. It is so situated that it commands a
picturesque view of the rolling country which is on every side.
The big chimney, that was formerly the central feature of the house, has
given way to two smaller ones, one on either end. The sloping roof has
been treated to new shingles, while the exterior has been left
practically as it was when built. The addition of green blinds has done
much to soften what would otherwise be a rather bare exterior. The house
is of the type that shows four rooms in each story.
The hallway has a castellated paper in gray and white and a winding
staircase with box stairs and simple balusters and posts painted white
and a mahogany rail. It is a simple little hall, small, compact, and
truly Colonial in its type, with its Dutch armchair showing pierced
slats of Chippendale influence. This chair was probably made about the
time the house was built which was in the early part of the eighteenth
century, the date not being definitely known.
[Illustration: The Living Room]
At the left of the hallway is the living-room, which is of the simple
farmhouse type, lacking a wainscot but containing a simple mopboard and
paneled door. The wide boards in the flooring have been retained here as
well as in the dining-room,--plain-edged boards that, while laid close
together, still show a crack between. This living-room was in the early
days used as living-room and bedroom; the space at the farther end,
which was used as a closet into which the bed folded during the daytime,
is now utilized as a bookcase and makes an interesting feature. The
slat-back chair beside the bookcase is the most valuable type of its
period, being made about 1750. It shows a turned knob. In chairs of this
kind, which were more commonly used during the first part of the
eighteenth century, the number of slats varied, the most common having
three, while the rarest have five.
The gate-legged table is a good example, while the Chippendale chair is
unusual, showing very graceful effect, with wonderfully delicate
carving, and being of the best design. An equally rare example of a
Hepplewhite chair, which is beautifully carved, is contained in the same
room. In addition to these are banister and Sheraton chairs, as well as
a fine example of girandole, uncommon from the fact that there is a pair
exactly alike, and they are seen one on either side of the room.
[Illustration: The Dining Room]
Opposite the living-room is the dining-room, and here the same correct
furnishing has been used. The plain wainscot is of the early type, the
lighting has Colonial fixtures, while the chairs are painted Sheraton,
being most unusual in that there is a whole set of the same pattern
which are all originals. A wonderfully fine example of a mahogany
dining-table has been utilized as a serving-table, and the silver is all
of the Colonial pattern. Here one finds the low stud, but none of the
exposed beams often found in old houses.
At the rear of the dining-room is the kitchen which is equipped with
modern appliances. Leading from the dining-room at the left is a small
room which has been fitted up as a music-room and den combined. It is a
most livable room, there being no stiffness or formality in the
arrangement of the furniture, and each piece of furniture proves a
fitting foil for its mate. The wall hangings are not of the Colonial
type; they are plain gray and bring out to advantage the setting of
furniture, pictures, and ornaments in the room.
In the upper hall is found a fine old carved chest of the Jacobean
period. This is considered one of the best examples of chests in
existence, being wonderfully carved, of solid oak, and probably used
originally as a dower chest. Leading off from the hallway are four
large, square chambers, each one correctly furnished with Colonial
pieces, many of which are family heirlooms. Here, where modern lighting
has been introduced, the Colonial type of fixtures has been carefully
maintained. In all the house there is no central light, all the lights
being at the side. In the upper story as well as the lower, the wide
flooring has been retained, as it was found in such excellent condition
it could easily be used.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: Two Noteworthy Chambers]
The steeple-topped andirons in the simple fireplace, the painted mirror,
and the old brass candlesticks of one chamber are most appropriately
chosen. The Field bed has a canopy of white with ball fringe which is an
exact replica of the old-time draping. Rag mats have been used for the
floor; they are not the common braided ones but woven rugs which are
more suitable. Alcoved recesses are shown on either side of the
fireplace; in one of them a six-legged, high chest of drawers with china
steps, designed about 1720, shows drop handles, and is ornamented with
rare old family china. On the opposite side is a wing or Martha
Washington chair of the Sheraton type. The bureau, 1815, is a fine
example of the period, while the swell-front, Hepplewhite bureau with
the oval, pressed-brass handles and the painted mirror above are in
conformity with the general scheme. A banister-backed chair with a rush
bottom stands at one side of the bed.
Very unusual is the Colonial wall-paper which is found in a second
chamber, while eighteenth-century andirons are used in the fireplace
which is still of the original size and which shows a plain Colonial
mantel. In this chamber, as in the other, there is a very plain wainscot
of boards placed horizontally. An Empire bed which has wonderfully
beautiful carving is shown in this room, and also a very unusual chair
known as a comb-back rocker and dating about 1750. The rugs here are of
the Arts and Crafts style, while the bureau and writing-table have
cabriole legs and secret drawers, the central one with rising sun or fan
carving.
Every piece in this house is genuine, for they all are heirlooms or
pieces that have been carefully chosen, since the owner is an expert in
determining period and correct types. It is a well-known fact that
to-day one has to be a careful student of furniture not to be deceived.
The popularity of the Colonial period, more especially since the vogue
of the modified Colonial house, has led many a fakir to reproduce the
lines of the genuine antique. Skilful workmen are employed to
manufacture these pieces, and they are able, by imitating worm-holes,
dentation, and other distinguishing marks, to put on the market pieces
whose genuineness even the antique dealer is puzzled to decide.
All through the country the value of antiques is becoming better and
better known, so that it is far more difficult to obtain bargains than
it was even five years ago. To-day, so great has grown the demand,
people who before were unaware of the worth of their heirlooms have been
led to overestimate their value and they now ask fabulous sums for
pieces hitherto neglected and ignored.