Rectangular top inset with brown/black leather. Molded edge, straight flat sides. Two longer sides have two drawers, each with two round concave areas with small knobs at center. Four legs with bun-and-cylinder turned feet. Legs taper down to feet with two buns terminating on the smaller bun foot.
Gilded, ogee-molded frame with applied acanthus leaf design at two bottom corners. Top crest heavily molded with applied relief. Two sides have c-scroll with top crest of shield, shell, foliate floral design. Garlands of flowers across with central appled bunch of grapes. Crest curves out and forward.
Cartouch-shaped top of beige/yellow marble; out-rounded corners, serpentine sides; concave/rounded edge. Valanced skirt, also serpentine with carved medallions, on each of four faces with 'C' and 'S' scrolling and foliate motif. Cock-beaded molding around lower edge of skirt. Pedestal has an urn shape with cock-beaded molding with a round finial. Four incurved, shaped and carved cabriole legs terminate in small scrolled feet with casters.
American Sheraton Windsor Arrow Back Arm Chair. Made from pine, maple, poplar, and tulip woods. Chair has four vertical flattened spindles. Stretchers on sides are lower than stretchers in front and back.
Provenance
Buchanan, James
To - Buchanan Edward Y. (Brother)
To - Ewing, Alice Conyngham Buchanan (EYB Daughter)
To - Brooke, Cornelia Lausdale Ewing (ABEwing Daughter)
Silk upholstered rosewood Belter chair. Highly carved crest with fruit and leaf motif. Chair has a curved solid back framed by an elongated scroll. Upholstered seat has a serpentine apron, cabriolet legs terminating in casters.
American Empire walnut sofa, upholstered in brown leather; the back is button-tufted. The sofa has an oblong body and exposed frame. Top rail of back is straight with a slight backward roll with downward sloped ends. The lyre curved end/arms are upholstered and faced with balancing swan-neck uprights that are carved with foliate motif scrolls. The deep skirt is straight with a center carved foliate motif and scroll work. The sofa is supported by four legs that feature foliage-carved knees terminating with upward turned scrolls on wood casters.
Crest of top rail, finger-molded in scalloped shaped. Horizontal splat curved upward, terminating in scroll on each end, thicker at middle. Seat is shield shape, serpentine front. Legs plain cabriole, back legs square and canted. 36.14.3 differs from 36.
Re-upholstered -date unknown Two had been green velvet and one blue velvet Originally [when owned by Buchanan] chairs were covered in green morocco leather.
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.
Balloon back walnut chairs with serpentine splat. Louis XV style back is rounded and finger molded with no additional carving. Flaring upholstered seat-black horsehair-with serpentine front with beaded molding at bottom of skirt. Cabriole front legs, rounded, with slightly curved square back legs terminating on flat feet.
Artifacts mentioned by Ara Hatch in New York Dalily Times 11/10/1856. Person had visited Wheatland.
Height (in)
34.312
Width (in)
18
Depth (in)
16.125
Condition
Excellent
Condition Date
2022-11-21
Condition Notes
Reupolstered; James Buchanan Foundation records indicate the seats were originally covered in green morrocan leather.
Object ID
W.1936.001.015.2
Notes
The chair was presumed to belong to James Buchanan by the James Buchanan Foundation representatives in 1936 when they bought certain furnishings that were still in the mansion during the Willson-Rettew Estate sale.
Mentioned by Ara Hatch in the N.Y. Daily Times (visited Wheatland 10 November 1856.)
Rococo Revival walnut upholstered Salon Parlor Chair. Carved roses on crest and apron, Cabriole legs terminating in castors. Upholstered in gold damask fabric, chair back is button tufted.
Provenance
Owned by a Buchanan family member
To Elizabeth Hensel Nauman (Dorothy Flinn - donor)
Walnut and Mahogany veneer, horsehair stuffing. V-Backed Louis XV with hour-glass vertical splat connected to horizontal scalloped splat. Crest has finger hole with craved scroll-like carving. Apron or skirt is striaght across bottom; serpentine front. Seat-cyma-curved sides, serpenine front. Cabriole
Victorian half-barrel back, button-tufted leather upholstered chair. Walnut frame is exposed along the skirt that has a slight outward curves at the front surmounting foliate carved legs terminating on brass casters.
4/4/1939 Loaned by Brooke-Memo Agreement 6/3/1955 Talbot Speer to Mr. Prentis-Offer of Donation. Letter said 'Buchanan's favorite [chair] that he sat upon to the time of his death. 6/28/1957 Claire Parker to Robert Finnegan-Chair 'had been in Library, considered Buchanan's favorite; used to sit in front of fireplace.
Rosewood Belter chair with red velvet upholstery; the chair has scroll-outlined concave back with centered upholstered heart-shaped panel. Centered panel is surmounted by crest of carved foliage and flowers in high relief, flanked by scrolled and pierced framing with similar carvings. The flared upholstered seat has a serpentine front. Beneath is an undulating carved and molded skirt. The short, molded cabriole front legs have carved knees terminating in scroll feet with casters; the rear legs are square and curve backward terminating with casters.
Ring turned legs with ball feet. Legs slightly tapering. Shelf with underhanging drawer. Drawer is shallow with pressed oval brass handle with bail [not original]. Top shelf has hole for wash bowl.
American Rococo Revival Walnut Sofa. The serpentine back centered by a rose and shell scrolled carved crest, the back joined to closed arms, with a serpentine apron and raised on cabriole legs terminating in casters, silk velvet upholstery.
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.
Armchair, balloon back with ornate carved crest of flowers, below center and scroll work. Back has concave curve at sides, flaring to arms. Back seat is separate except for two side attachments. Arms are carved scrolls. Rudimentary claw slopes down to se
Rococo Revival rosewood upholstered Salon Parlor Chair. Carved roses on crest and apron, Cabriole legs terminating in castors. Upholstered in gold damask fabric, chair back has an hour glass shape and is button tufted.
