Lincoln Home
Historic Furnishings Report 		NPS Logo

THE PLAN

SECTION E: RECOMMENDED FURNISHINGS (continued)

SITTING ROOM: ROOM C

See p. 310 for Summary of Furnishings and Cost Estimates.

SITTING ROOM: ROOM C
Object: C.1-2 — Rocking Chairs, pair
Date: ca. 1850-1860
Brief Description: Cane seated rockers, Cottage style, with back consisting of a cane panel below four turned spindles and a curved crest rail, cabriole front legs, outward flaring rear legs.
Location: In the south corners of the room.
Documentation: A drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, 1860-1861. (See also p. 81.)
Source: A chair, matching those shown in the Leslie's drawing, is in the collection at The Oaks, the home of Booker T. Washington, Tuskegee, Alabama. The chair was given to Tuskegee Institute with a history of having come from the Lincoln home. There is no available documentation to support this provenance; however, it is the only chair of this description with a Lincoln history. This chair should be reproduced and a pair placed in the sitting room. If possible, transfer of the rocker at The Oaks (which was not a part of the original furnishings while Booker T. Washington was alive) should be negotiated. LIHO 45 is appropriate until reproductions can be made, or a matching rocker for LIHO 45 found.


Object: C.3-4-5 — Side Chairs, set of three
Date: ca. 1850-1860
Brief Description: Flat sided cabriole front legs, canted rear legs, s-curved back with one horizontal splat; both splat and crest rail have decorative carving in the center, either cane seated or upholstered in striped fabric (cotton, linen, striped horsehair).
Location: One beneath west front window, one beneath the window on the south wall to the west of the fireplace, one on east wall south of the table.
Documentation: A drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper March 9, 1861.
Source: LIHO 41, 42, and 53.


Object: C.6 — Table
Date: ca. 1850-1860
Brief Description: Large oval topped walnut table with cabriole legs and either scroll or claw and ball feet.
Location: East wall (could occasionally be moved to center of room for family grouping as was typical of the mid-nineteenth century).
Documentation: A drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper March 9, 1861. This table may have been the one purchased from the Lincolns in 1861 by J.M. Forden (who also purchased a sewing table from this same room), described in an 1894 sales catalogue as an "antique walnut tete-a-tete table." (See p. 74 for further discussion.) A "tete-a-tete" table was a table for conversation, designed to be placed free-standing in the middle of a room, more commonly referred to during the nineteenth century as a center table. The table shown in the Leslie's drawing is one of these conversation or center tables.
Source: To be acquired (antique); LIHO 40 may be used temporarily.


Object: C.7 — Table Cover
Date: ca. 1850-1860
Brief Description: A rectangular table cover, of stenciled felt or wool.
Location: Walnut table.
Documentation: Period practice. Table covers were standard items at mid-century, particularly for center tables. Many period prints and paintings illustrate these covers. For example see Harold Peterson's Americans at Home (New York: Charles Scribner and Sons, 1971).
Source: To be acquired (antique or reproduction).


Object: C.8 — Sewing Table
Date: ca. 1850-1860
Brief Description: Two-drawer pedestal stand on rectangular base with feet.
Location: Between front windows.
Documentation: A drawing of the sitting room made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper March 9, 1861; a table of this description now in the Lincoln Home (LIHO 1123) has a strong history of Lincoln ownership (see pp. 73-74).
Source: LIHO 1123.


Object: C.9 — Ironwork Flower Stand
Date: ca. 1850-1860
Brief Description: Wire basket with handles mounted on trestle style ornate wire supports. (See Plate III.)
Location: Beneath window on south wall, east of fireplace.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861.
Source: To be acquired (antique or reproduction).


Object: C.10 — Large Painting or Print with a Horse as part of subject.
Date: 1840-1860
Brief Description: Painting or print with a horse subject in a large rectangular wooden gilt frame, approximately 2'x3', hung with picture cord, and tassels.
Location: East wall, center.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861.
Source: LIHO 282.


Object: C.11 — Mirror
Date: 1840-1860
Brief Description: Large rectangular mirror in gilt frame, approximately 3-1/2'x1-1/2'.
Location: West wall between windows.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861; a mirror similar to this one now back in the Lincoln Home has a well documented history of Lincoln ownership (see pp. 65-66).
Source: LIHO 1115.


Object: C.12 — Girandole Set
Date: 1840-1860
Brief Description: One five-arm candleholder and two single-arm candleholders, with hanging prisms.
Location: Multi-arm candleholder in center of mantel with two single-arm candleholders at either end.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861. (See pp. 64-65 for discussion of two sets of original Lincoln girandole.)
Source: LIHO 263, 264, and 268.


Object: C.13 — Pair of Vases
Date: 1840-1860
Brief Description: Double-handled vases on bases, French or English china.
Location: On either side of multi-arm candleholder next to single-arm candleholders.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861.
Source: To be acquired (antique).


Object: C.14 — Candleholder
Date: ca. 1840-1860
Brief Description: Candlestick in the shape of a glass bottle or narrow vase (with a candle in it).
Location: Next to vase, to the right of the multi-arm candleholder.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861.
Source: To be acquired (antique).


Object: C.15 — Pair of Decanters
Date: 1840-1860
Brief Description: Plain glass with stoppers, one with sloping shoulders, one with flat top.
Location: Either side of multi-arm candleholder.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861.
Source: To be acquired (antique).


Object: C.16 — Basket of Apples (in season)
Date: 1850-1860
Brief Description: A wicker basket filled with realistic artificial apples. Real apples, if left too long, might damage the basket.
Location: Oval table or sewing table.
Documentation: Contemporary account (see p. 100).
Source: To be acquired (reproduction).


Object: C.17 — Spittoons
Date: 1850-1860
Brief Description: Pair of spittoons in pewter, brass, or ceramic (not necessary that they be matched).
Location: On each side of the fireplace.
Documentation: Drawing made for Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 9, 1861.
Source: To be acquired (antique).


Object: C.18 — Stereoscope
Date: 1850-1860
Brief Description: Stereoscope marked "A. Beckars, Patent April 7, 1857, Jas. Lee, N. Y. manufacturer."
Location: Large oval table.
Documentation: Lincoln associated (see pp. 93-94).
Source: LIHO 273.
SITTING ROOM: ROOM C

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Last Updated: 08-Feb-2004