This frog doorstop serves as an iconic symbol of James Buchanan's attachment to his favorite spring at his Wheatland farm, and was donated because it was an appropriate piece.
Rolling pin with impressed designs of flowers, birds, fish. Known as a Springley rolling pin, it was similar to the individual Springley molds used to impress designs of fruit, animals, or flowers on German gingerbread and fancy Christmas cakes. The patterns on the rolling pins saved time and trouble, as the patterns could be quickly rolled into the dough.
Oval top empire-style table with side skirt. Skirt has beaded top and bottom. Table divides to accomodate four leaves. Four-sided reeded central pillar with two turned feet underneath and four c-scrolled supports. Solid base with four radial, long legs w
Undocumented stories claim that this table was ordered by William Jenkins in 1828, the year he had the Wheatland mansion built, and that it has conveyed to each subsequent owner with the deed. The table dates from the first quarter of the nineteenth century and might attributed to the Bachman cabinetmakers.
The tiger maple washstand's splash back has a scroll-cut design combined with a fleur de lis carving at its center. The sidewalls also have a scroll cut and a rounded corner at the front. Both front legs have an inward curve ending at the lower shelf terminating with an inward scroll design. The top shelf apron has a full-width drawer and two hexagonal molded clear glass pulls. The two back supports are vase-shaped legs with ring and ball turnings at the lower shelf. All four legs below the bottom shelf have ring and ball turnings that terminate on ball feet.
Smithgall family history tells us that the washstand passed to Charles Lee, the donor's son before the piece transferred to Wheatland's collection. Mary Smithgall Lee received it from her father, Charles Smithgall who received it from the estate of his grandfather, John Smithgall. John served as a gardener in the Quartermaster Department of the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry under Breveted Lieutenant Colonel James Miles Moore in Washington D.C. during the administrations of James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln. John Smithgall died in Washington on 12 December 1865; his grave is at the National Military Asylum Cemetery. Mary Smithgall, a daughter of John Smithgall, worked as a domestic for James Buchanan at Wheatland.
Grained pine bookcase. Ring and bun feet. Has bottom cabinets with double doors, butt-hinged, not knobs or handles. Plain keyholes, central rectangular panels on each door. Upper case has sliding doors with glass, 12 panes each. Six shelves on each side.
This artifact was accessioned twice [36.20 and 89.150]. 89.150 accession form said that artifact has Buchanan ownership, however, only criteria used for this declaration was the Leslie Illustration.
Two Greek Revival Chairs, rush seats, painted back rail. Cabriole front and back legs with gold stringing. Front and back has single stretcher, each side have double stretchers. American
Lignum vitas wood caster with round, bowl-like top, pierced for shaking out pounce. Base is ring-turned tapers smaller to broad top, flat bottom. Small, shallow dotted pattern in two bands near bottom. Lip at top has thin groove. Top screws onto base that would be filled with pounce, which is a fine powder made from powdered cuttlefish bone. Pounce was used both to dry ink and to sprinkle on a rough writing surface to make it smooth enough for writing.
Esther 'Hetty' Parker, James Buchanan's housekeeper, chose this among several other household items that Buchanan noted she was to be allowed to choose after his death. Miss Hetty gave this to the daughter of her neighbor. Miss Steckman donated this to the Wheatland collection in 1938.
Black-glazed pottery with wide bottom, narrow neck with molded band, wide flaring mouth. Around inside of lip-heart pattern. Back of body has ornate, double petalled (six each) flower mold. Front has oval medallion, surrounded by scrollwork.
Top of desk is slanted. Top lifts to reveal a compartment fitted with pigeon holes and drawers. Cabinet supported on four heavily turned legs which are reminiscent of late Sheraton style. Piece is simple and forthright in its design and construction; pro
Empire mahogany side chair with a wide curved tablet top back splat and a horizontal foliate carved center splat. The upholstered seat is supported by sloping rounded side rails. At the apron corners are carved florets above the urn-shaped turnings and reeded front legs terminating with bun feet. The back legs are square saber styles.
A Federal era washstand with a top and lower shelf. Top shelf has a centered opening to support a wash basin with two square pockets at the back corners to store a bar of soap and/or a shaving mug. The wood splash back is three sided and scroll cut with a raised back; the sides slope down to rounded shoulders at the front skirt that has bead trim both top and bottom. The top shelf surmounts four square blocks that transition to double ring and ball turned uprights. The lower shelf is mounted 18.5" below the top shelf with a full width drawer on its skirt with a wooden mushroom-shaped drawer pull in the center and double-bead trim at the bottom. The lower shelf surmounts four square blocks that transition to double ring and ball turned legs that terminate on peg feet.
Rectangular white marble base. Ornately cast gilded bronze stem enhanced with scroll-shaped leaves, birds, blossoms and snails. An oval-shaped cast brass collar surmounts the stem with flat glass crystal prisms.
American Empire side chair designed in the Klismos-style; chair style shaped after ancient Greek designs. Distinguishing features include sabre-like tapered legs, curved tablet backrests and curled stiles. The mahogany veneer back top rail has a rolled tablet crest. The upholstered slip takes the same shape of the straight front skirt that has a molded design as do the flat front of the front legs.
American empire-transitional Victorian armchair. Walnut frames the upholstered back and crest, arm rests have upholstered cushions terminating in a wide scroll surmounting the seat frame that features a serpentine apron. Brocade front legs feature ring-turnings; back legs are squared and canted. Back has slightly arched crest, back rails join to legs that terminate in casters.
