Side Chair; Ladder back

Date1800-1820

OriginAmerica, Virginia, Caroline County

MediumWood (possibly maple) and oak splint

DimensionsOH: 42 1/4"; OW: 20"; OD: 16 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, The Sara and Fred Hoyt Furniture Fund

Object number2012-85

DescriptionLadder back side chair with round legs and stiles; feet taper slightly below stretchers; ball finials on tops of stiles; five rounded shaped horizontal slats between stiles; low splint woven seat; round front, rear, and double side stretchers; evidence of original red paint.
Label TextThis unusual side chair is one of three tall-backed, low-seated chairs that survived at Bowling Green Farm. While the height of the rear stiles is normal for a typical turned side chair, the seat is much lower, making the rear stiles appear overly tall. Turn-of-the-century photographs show the chairs located in a bedchamber as well as outside on the lawn. The low seat suggests the chair’s use as a slipper chair in a bedchamber (the sitter would be closer to his or her feet, making it easier to put on shoes). It also facilitated household chores that could be completed while sitting, perhaps with a basket of work on the ground beside the chair.

This chair descended in the Hoomes, Maury, and White families of Bowling Green Farm in Caroline County, Virginia. It remained in the house until 2012. Because of its history at Bowling Green, the chair can be placed in a specific geographical context—a rarity for such utilitarian furniture. While we may not know the name of the artisan who made this piece, the craftsman most likely worked in the adjacent town of Bowling Green or the surrounding area of Caroline County, Virginia.
ProvenanceDescended in the Hoomes, Maury, and White families of Bowling Green Farm in Bowling Green, Virginia.