Cupboard

Description

Pine cupboard-over-dresser. The bottom of the piece has an applied molding on the front and sides. The dresser has four drawers of graduated height with rounded edges and two turned-wood knobs each. The drawer fronts are dovetail jointed to the rest of the drawer. The top of the dresser is joined with the sides of the cupboard. The cupboard has two mortise jointed doors each with a turned-wood knob. There is a thin rounded molding along the recessed edges of each panel. On the right hand side door there is a key hole just below the middle of the left side. Behind the keyhole is a brass lock mechanism which fits with a slotted brass plate on the left door. Above the brass plate is a brass bracket which joins a brass slide on a pigeonhole divider when the door is closed. Inside the cupboard are five graduated rows of pigeonholes. The dividers of the top row are s-curved. The top of the cupboard has a molded top edge on the front with its ends cut diagonally. Sides and top are dovetailed. Exterior originally painted or washed red, but the piece was stripped and refinished.

Notes

The piece was partially burned while in possession of the Shakers, perhaps in the 1875 fire that destroyed the Church Family dwelling house and seven other buildings; the Shakers refinished it. Scorch marks can still be seen on the proper left side.