Paperweight or keepsake of carved white marble has a carved reclining sheep, done in bas relief, is lying on a narrow ledge on an inch-thick slab of marble resembling a curved top tombstone. Incised name in block letters below the sheep: "E. M. Howell." Bottom edge below name is relieved with a carved cupid's bow design.
Attributed to Charles M. Howell (4-24-1814 to 4-10-1903).
Provenance
Donor inherited two carvings from her Aunt Annie and Aunt Kate Willson. They were pupils in Charles M. Howell's Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church and he passed them out as Christmas gifts. Great grandson Dick Witmer states E.M. Howell is certainly Howell's wife Elizabeth Michael who Charles married in 1841. She died 10-22-1877.
Howell was an important in business and civic affairs. He operated a marble yard on N. Queen St. in Lancaster. Other carvings by Howell's employee,
Augustus Beck, are extant. Dick's brother Bob Witmer removed these large carvings (of lions?) that had been at the corner of a Howell residence at East Chestnut and Cherry Sts. to his home outside the city. Additional small carvings are reportedly owned by Lancaster collector Gene Charles.
Paperweight or keepsake of carved white marble has a 3-D carved reclining sheep reclining on a half-inch-thick rectangular base, secured with a screw on underside. Base has chamfered top edges. Thin sheet of red rubber glued to underside of base.
Attributed to Charles M. Howell (4-24-1814 to 4-10-1903).
Provenance
Donor inherited two carvings from her Aunt Annie and Aunt Kate Willson. They were pupils in Charles M. Howell's Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church and he passed them out as Christmas gifts.
Howell was an important in business and civic affairs. He operated a marble yard on N. Queen St. in Lancaster. Other carvings by Howell's employee,
Augustus Beck, are extant. Dick's brother Bob Witmer removed these large carvings (of lions?) that had been at the corner of a Howell residence at East Chestnut and Cherry Sts. to his home outside the city. Additional small carvings are reportedly owned by Lancaster collector Gene Charles.
Wrought iron can opener fashioned from .25" thick flat iron bar. Long flat handle ends with a scrolled-under terminal; other end is a bifurcated functional head with curving fulcrum and sharpened blade.
Stamped on top surface of handle in large letters is "P.E.WILL." See Notes
Minor pitting and corrosion, but surface is generally smooth and polished. Blad has considerable wear.
Object ID
P.00.43.1
Notes
MG-332, Folder 1 has materials about P.E. Will, noting he erected a shop in 1892. His obituary states "Phares E. Will died at his home in Penryn on Monday am aged 65 yres. 5 mos. and 1 day. He was ill with pneumonia for his last 2 weeks. He was a blacksmith for more than 40 years.
Will was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Penryn. He is survived by wife Sarah Jane Williams Will, also his father Elias P. Will and brother Thaddeus of Lititz. He was buried in Penryn cemetery.
There is an image of the blacksmith shop & residence in Folder #1, insert #49.
Findagrave gives bio: "P. E. Will operated a blacksmith shop in Penryn, PA. He was renowned In Lancaster County as one of the best craftsman around the area. He made hand-forged tools such as meat forks, cooking turners, ladles, tobacco shears, and tobacco spears. His tools were stamped "P E Will" and are highly sought at auctions.
Mr. Will also sold Studebaker wagons from his shop. His shop was clean and orderly. At his shop all the race horses which ran on the Speedwell track were shod. Will also shod horses at Mount Gretna for the National Guard who camped there.
He had a rack/cage for shoeing unruly horses which he invented. He used a special foot rest for the horses instead of holding the horses hoof on his knee. In a 1926 interview, Mr. Will stated that he had placed more than 200,000 shoes on horses during his career as a blacksmith.
Mr. Will was also known as an author and local historian. He was a contributer of Penryn news."
Family links:
Parents:
Elias P Will (1846 - 1936)
Annie B Eberly Will (1851 - 1927)
Place of Origin
Penryn, Penn Twp.
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
