Andrew Richmond
Southern Sophistication on the Early Frontier: The Inlaid Furniture of Washington County, Ohio, 1788-1825

American Furniture 2004

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    For the Ohio, tile overmantel formerly in a Woburn, Massachusetts, house, ca. 1888. Tin-glazed earthenware. 20 1/2" x 30 1/2". (Courtesy, Henry Ford Museum.)

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Charles Sullivan, View of Fort Harmar from the Virginia Side, Marietta, Ohio, ca. 1835. Oil on canvas. 20" x 28". (Courtesy, Peter Tillou Works of Art.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Map of the Ohio Company purchase, ca. 1787. Ink on paper. (Courtesy, Ohio Company Papers, Slack Research Collections, Dawes Memorial Library, Marietta College.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Marietta in 1792, Marietta, Ohio, ca. 1848. Watercolor on paper. 7 1/2" x 10". (Courtesy, Hildreth Collection, Slack Research Collections, Dawes Memorial Library, Marietta College.)

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Sawbuck table attributed to Truman Guthrie, Washington County, Ohio, 1790–1800. Tulip poplar and oak. H. 26 1/5", W. 35 1/2", D. 23 1/4". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Martius Museum.)

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Jonathan Sprague, corner cupboard, Marietta, Ohio, ca. 1788. Walnut. H. 70", W. 41 1/2", D. 18 1/2". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Martius Museum.)

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Detail of the upper shelves of the cupboard illustrated in fig. 6.

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Clock case attributed to Isaac Washing­ton with movement by D. B. Anderson, Marietta, Ohio, ca. 1823. Painted tin (case); brass (movement). H. 25 1/4", Diam. 9". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society.)

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    William Mason, desk, Lowell, Ohio, 1800–1810. Cherry with tulip poplar. H. 53 1/2", W. 42", D. 21 1/4". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Martius Museum.)

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    E. Ruggles, Plan of the City of Marietta, 1788. Engraving on paper. 16 3/4" x 20". (Courtesy, Ohio Company Papers, Slack Research Collections, Dawes Memorial Library, Marietta College.)

  • FIgure 11
    FIgure 11

    Portrait of Joshua Shipman from Mary Walton Ferris, Dawes-Gates Ancestral Lines: A Memorial Volume (Milwaukee, Wis.: Privately printed, 1931), pl. 21.

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Salt box, Marietta, Ohio, 1788–1800. Unidentified wood. H. 12 5/8", W. 6 1/2", D. 3 5/8". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Mar­tius Museum.)

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Chest of drawers, Washington County, Ohio, 1810–1820. Cherry and various wood inlays with tulip poplar, pine, and oak. H. 44 3/4", W. 41 5/8", D. 23 3/4". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Martius Museum.)

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Outline map of Washington County, Ohio, 1881. Lithograph. (Courtesy, Dawes Memorial Library, Marietta College.) Williams­town is marked in red, Henderson Hall is marked in blue, and the arrow shows the location of Blennerhassett Island.

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Contemporary image of Blennerhassett Mansion from Henry Howe, Historical Collections of Ohio (Norwalk, Ohio: Laning Printing, 1896). (Courtesy, Dawes Memorial Library, Marietta College.)

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Portrait of John Richardson, Marietta, Ohio, 1800–1820. Oil on canvas. 31 7/8" x 27 1/2". (Courtesy, David O. Richard.) The inlaid frame is original.

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Library bookcase attributed to Richard Rood, Washington County, Ohio, 1810–1820. Cherry and burled walnut with pine. Dimensions not recorded. (Courtesy, Henderson Hall.)

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Tall case clock, Washington County, Ohio, 1810–1820. Cherry with tulip poplar. Dimensions not recorded. (Courtesy, Henderson Hall.) The dial bears the mark of Ohio clockmaker William Green, but the movement is English.

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Sideboard, Washington County, Ohio, 1790–1810. Walnut and various wood inlays with tulip poplar and pine. H. 35 1/2", W. 67 3/4", D. 22 1/2". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society.)

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Detail of an inlaid flower on the sideboard illustrated in fig. 19.

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Desk, Washington County, Ohio, dated 1819. Walnut and various wood inlays with tulip poplar. H. 47 5/8", W. 41", D. 25 3/8". (Courtesy, Dayton Art Institute.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Detail of the interior of the desk illustrated in fig. 21. The lion-head pulls appear to be original.

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Detail of the inlay on the fallboard of the desk illustrated in fig. 21.

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    Detail of the inlay on the lower drawer and skirt of the desk illustrated in fig. 21.

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    Miniature chest of drawers, Ohio Valley, possibly Washington County, 1815–1830. Walnut and various wood inlays. Dimensions and secondary woods not recorded. (Private collection.)

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    William Patton, desk-and-bookcase, East Tennessee, or possibly Virginia, 1805–1815. Cherry, walnut, and light wood inlay with tulip poplar. H. 86", W. 41", D. 22 3/4". (Courtesy, Tennessee State Museum Collection: Photo, Bill LaFevor.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Tall case clock, probably Pulaski County, Virginia, ca. 1810. Mahogany, cherry, walnut, holly, maple, bone, and horn with tulip poplar. H. 108", W. 24", D. 15". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.)

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Chest of drawers, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1715–1750. Walnut and light wood inlays with pine. H. 49 1/8", W. 41 1/2", D. 22 3/8". (Courtesy, Winterthur Museum.)

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Detail of the map illustrated in fig. 10 showing the Point. Joseph Buell’s tavern is highlighted in red and his home in blue.

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Desk-and-bookcase, Washington County, Ohio, 1800–1812. Walnut and various wood inlays with pine. H. 88 3/8", W. 39 3/8", D. 20 5/8". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Martius Museum.)

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    Tall clock case, Washington County, Ohio, 1800–1812. Mahogany and various wood inlays with tulip poplar and white pine. H. 100 1/4", W. 17 1/2", D. 11". (Courtesy, Ohio Historical Society, Campus Martius Museum)

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Detail of the inlay on the fallboard of the desk-and-bookcase illustrated in fig. 30.

  • Figure 33
    Figure 33

    Detail of the inlay on the hood of the tall clock case illustrated in fig. 31.

  • Figure 34
    Figure 34

    Detail of a corner leaf inlay on the base plinth of the tall clock case illustrated in fig. 31.

  • Figure 35
    Figure 35

    Tall case clock with movement by John Reynolds, Hagerstown, Maryland, 1800–1820. Mahogany with yellow pine and tulip poplar. H. 107 7/8", W. 20 3/4", D. 10 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 36
    Figure 36

    Detail of the urn-and-flower inlay on the plinth of the tall clock case illustrated in fig. 31.

  • Figure 37
    Figure 37

    Tall case clock with movement by Joseph Graff, Hagerstown, Maryland, 1800–1820. Cherry with tulip poplar. H. 92", W. 19 1/4", D. 11 5/8". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 38
    Figure 38

    Detail of the inverse vine-and-leaf inlay on the base plinth of the tall clock case illustrated in fig. 31.

  • Figure 39
    Figure 39

    Detail of the map illustrated in fig. 10 showing the population centers. The Point is in blue and Campus Martius is in red.