Sumpter Priddy III and Joan K. Quinn
Crossroads of Culture: Eighteenth-Century Furniture from Western Maryland

American Furniture 1997

Full Article
Contents
  • Figure 1
    Figure 1

    J. Denison, MAP of the STATES of MARYLAND and DELAWARE, published in Jedidiah Morse’s American Geography, 3d ed., 1796, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (The Huntingfield Map Collection) (Image Format Copyrighted and Courtesy of the Maryland State Archives)

  • Figure 2
    Figure 2

    View of Frederick Town attributed to John Markell, 1844. Oil on canvas. 24" x 37 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 3
    Figure 3

    Chest, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 1776. White pine and white oak with yellow pine and walnut. H. 23 1/2", W. 44 7/8", D. 22 3/4". (Courtesy, Yale University Art Gallery, Mabel Brady Garvan Collection.)

  • Figure 4
    Figure 4

    Chest, probably Frederick County, Maryland, 1770–1780. Walnut with tulip poplar. H. 231/4", W. 511/4", D. 23". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 5
    Figure 5

    Chest, Frederick County, Maryland, 1770–1780. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 29 3/8", W. 56", D. 28 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.) The lower portions of the feet are restored.

  • Figure 6
    Figure 6

    Schrank, Frederick County, Maryland, 1775–1785. Walnut with tulip poplar. Dimensions not recorded. (Courtesy, Maryland Historical Society.) The turned feet are restored.

  • Figure 7
    Figure 7

    Chest, Hagerstown, Maryland, 1785. Walnut. H. 24 1/2", W. 31", D. 22 1/2". (Courtesy, Sotheby’s.)

  • Figure 8
    Figure 8

    Desk, Hagerstown, Maryland, 1796. Cherry with yellow pine and cherry. H. 37 5/8", W. 44 1/2", D. 20 3/4". (Courtesy, Washington County Historical Society, Hagerstown; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) The desk originally had bracket feet.

  • Figure 9
    Figure 9

    Detail of the prospect door of the desk illustrated in fig. 8. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 10
    Figure 10

    Chest, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1790. Walnut; maple and putty inlay. H. 29 1/4", W. 51", D. 24 3/4". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 11
    Figure 11

    Detail of the inlay on the chest illustrated in fig. 10. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 12
    Figure 12

    Detail of the inlay on the chest illustrated in fig. 10. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 13
    Figure 13

    Chest, Frederick County, Maryland, 1791. Tulip poplar. H. 25 3/4", W. 49", D. 22 7/8". (Collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.) The feet and base molding are restored.

  • Figure 14
    Figure 14

    Conrad Doll, organ case for Peace Church, Hampden Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, 1807. Painted softwoods. Dimensions not recorded. (Courtesy, Friends of Peace Church and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 15
    Figure 15

    Tall clock with a thirty-hour movement by John Fessler, Sr., Frederick Town, Maryland, ca. 1785. Painted softwoods. H. 84 1/2", W. 20 3/4", D. 10 7/8". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 16
    Figure 16

    Tall clock with an eight-day movement by George Schnertzel, Frederick Town, Maryland, ca. 1780. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 104", W. 19 1/2", D. 11 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) The base is restored.

  • Figure 17
    Figure 17

    Detail of the frieze of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 16. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 18
    Figure 18

    Tall clock with a thirty-hour movement by George Woltz, Hagerstown, Maryland, 1789. Walnut. Secondary woods and dimensions not recorded. (Illustrated in Pauline Pinkney, “George Woltz, Maryland Cabinetmaker," Antiques 35, no. 3 [March 1939]: 125.)

  • Figure 19
    Figure 19

    Tall clock with a thirty-hour movement by Jacob Young, Hagerstown, Maryland, ca. 1785. Walnut. Secondary woods and dimensions not recorded. The feet and rosettes are restored. (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 20
    Figure 20

    Detail of the hood of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 19. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 21
    Figure 21

    Tall clock with a thirty-hour movement signed “John Myer, Frederick Town,” Maryland, 1770–1790. Cherry with tulip poplar. H. 97 5/8", W. 20 1/8", D. 10 5/8". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.)

  • Figure 22
    Figure 22

    Detail of the waist door of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 21

  • Figure 23
    Figure 23

    Design for a tall clock illustrated on pl. 163 in the third edition of Thomas Chippendale’s Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director (1762). (Collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)        

  • Figure 24
    Figure 24

    Tall clock with an eight-day movement signed “Elijah Evans Frederick Town,” Maryland, 1780–1789. Cherry with tulip poplar. H. 98 1/4", W. 21 1/2", D. 11 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 25
    Figure 25

    Tall clock with an eight-day movement signed and dated “Thos. Liddell Frederik Town 1760,” Maryland. Walnut with tulip poplar and yellow pine. H. 102 3/8", W. 20 1/4", D. 10 1/2". (Courtesy, Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 26
    Figure 26

    Detail of the waist door of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 25. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 27
    Figure 27

    Desk-and-bookcase, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with tulip poplar. H. 96 1/2", W. 45", D. 21 7/8". (Collection of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.) The bookcase section has been shortened.

  • Figure 28
    Figure 28

    Detail of the prospect of the desk-and-bookcase illustrated in fig. 27.

  • Figure 29
    Figure 29

    Desk-and-bookcase, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with tulip poplar. H. 94", W. 42 1/2", D. 23 1/2". (Courtesy, Carlyle House Historic Park, owned by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 30
    Figure 30

    Tall clock, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 104 1/4", W. 21 1/4", D. 11 1/4". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 31
    Figure 31

    Detail of the hood of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 30.

  • Figure 32
    Figure 32

    Tall clock with an eight-day movement signed “John Fessler,” Frederick Town, Maryland, 1780-1810. Cherry with tulip poplar. Dimensions not recorded. (Private collection; photo, Baltimore Museum of Art.)

  • Figure 33
    Figure 33

    Detail of the hood of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 32.

  • Figure 34
    Figure 34

    Corner cupboard, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with tulip poplar. H. 91". (Courtesy, Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland; photo, Gavin Ashworth.) The feet are old replacements.

  • Figure 35
    Figure 35

    Detail of the carving on the corner cupboard illustrated in fig. 34. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 36
    Figure 36

    Corner cupboard, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with tulip poplar. H. 89 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.) The flame sections of the finials are missing.

  • Figure 37
    Figure 37

    Detail of the carved fan and mullions on the door of the corner cupboard illustrated in fig. 36.

  • Figure 38
    Figure 38

    Corner cupboard, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1800. Woods and dimensions not recorded. (Illustrated in Wallace Nutting, Furniture Treasury [New York: MacMillian Co., 1928], fig. 534.)

  • Figure 39
    Figure 39

    Corner cupboard, Frederick or Washington County, Maryland, 1790–1810. Tulip poplar. H. 100", W. 48 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 40
    Figure 40

    Chest of drawers, Frederick County, Maryland, or Washington County, Virginia, 1780–1800. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 77 7/8", W. 39 1/4", D. 23 1/4". (Private collection; photo, Greg Vaughan.) The feet and base molding are replaced.

  • Figure 41
    Figure 41

    Detail of the shell appliqué and cornice molding on the chest illustrated in fig. 40.

  • Figure 42
    Figure 42

    Tall clock, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1785–1800. Walnut with tulip poplar. H. 106", W. 23", D. 11 1/8". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 43
    Figure 43

    Detail of the hood of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 42. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 44
    Figure 44

    Tall clock with an eight-day movement signed “John Fessler,” Frederick Town, Maryland, 1785–1800. Walnut with tulip poplar and white pine. H. 103 1/2", W. 23", D. 11 1/8". (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 45
    Figure 45

    Tall clock with an eight-day movement signed “Valentine Steckell,” Frederick Town, Maryland, 1790–1810. Walnut with tulip poplar. Dimensions not recorded. The feet and base molding are restored. (Courtesy, Historical Society of Frederick County, Maryland; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 46
    Figure 46

    Detail of the hood of the tall clock illustrated in fig. 45. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 47
    Figure 47

    Corner cupboard, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 89 1/2", W. 50 1/2", D. 32 1/4". (Courtesy, Sumpter Priddy III, Inc.) The upper case has been shortened.

  • Figure 48
    Figure 48

    Detail of one of the tympanum appliqués of the corner cupboard illustrated in fig. 47.

  • Figure 49
    Figure 49

    Corner cupboard, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1800. Yellow pine; polychrome paint. H. 96", W. 56 1/2". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 50
    Figure 50

    Detail of the entablature and cornice of the corner cupboard illustrated in fig. 49. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 51
    Figure 51

    Windsor chair, Frederick County, Maryland, ca. 1810. Maple and tulip poplar; painted. H. 33 1/2", W. 21 1/4", D. 16". (Private collection; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 52
    Figure 52

    Detail of the carving on the crest rail of the Windsor chair illustrated in fig. 51. (Photo, Gavin Ashworth.) The chip carving on the crest rail has flowers that turn outward like the relief carving on a group of Frederick County cupboards.

  • Figure 53
    Figure 53

    Armchair, Frederick County, Maryland, 1770–1790. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 39 1/8", W. 22 3/8" (seat). (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.) This chair descended in the Tyler family of “The Shelter,” in Prince William County, Virginia.

  • Figure 54
    Figure 54

    Side chair, probably Hagerstown, Maryland, 1770–1790. Walnut. Secondary woods and dimensions not recorded. (Illustrated in Pauline Pinkney, “George Woltz, Maryland Cabinetmaker,” Antiques 35, no. 3 [March 1939]: 124–27.)

  • Figure 55
    Figure 55

    Side chair, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1770–1790. Walnut. H. 40 1/2", W. 22 1/4", D. 19". (Courtesy, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.)

  • Figure 56
    Figure 56

    Armchair, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1770–1790. Walnut with white pine. H. 37 1/4", W. 21 7/8" (seat). (Private collection; photo, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts.)

  • Figure 57
    Figure 57

    Side chair, Frederick County, Maryland, 1770–1800. Walnut. H. 37 1/2", W. 18 5/8", D. 14 5/8". (Private collection; photo, Sumpter Priddy, Inc.)

  • Figure 58
    Figure 58

    Side chair, Frederick Town, Maryland, 1780–1800. Walnut with yellow pine. H. 39 1/2", W. 17 1/4" (seat). (Courtesy, All Saints Parish; photo, Gavin Ashworth.)

  • Figure 59
    Figure 59

    Corner cupboard, Frederick County, Maryland, 1780–1800. Cherry with tulip poplar and yellow pine. H. 107", W. 47 1/2". (Courtesy, Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village.)

  • Figure 60
    Figure 60

    Detail of the pediment of the corner cupbard illustrated in fig.59.