Side Chair
Georgetown, Maryland (now District of Columbia), 1755-1770
Black walnut with yellow pine
Catalog no. 10

Several towns along the upper Chesapeake Bay were influenced by craft traditions from Philadelphia. Located less than fifty miles from Maryland's northern border, Philadelphia's economy was a potent force in the surrounding region. The town supported a huge furniture trade in which substantial numbers of cabinet- and chair makers were trained. Many sought work in nearby areas. In the process, migrant artisans transplanted Philadelphia style and technology to new locales, as the Georgetown, Maryland, chair on the left demonstrates.

The decorative and structural details on the Georgetown chair are common to Philadelphia work. Compare the piece to the adjacent Philadelphia example. The Georgetown chair's origin is suggested by its history just outside that thriving river port. The survival of several other sets of chairs, all from the same unidentified artisan, and all with histories in and around Georgetown, further supports this conclusion.