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.
Tester bed. American Empire Style. Heavy vase and ring-turned legs, carved posts with acanthus/tobacco leaf design that terminates in long plain tapered top. Plain slat tester frame. Low, plain foot board that's carved at top. Headboard is high with inse
Donor writes that bed was used by William Norris at Wheatland, where he had 'bachelor quarters' with James Buchanan. This is unlikely because Wheatland was not a boarding house. Norris was a classmate of Buchanan's at Dickenson.
Four post mahogany veneer bed owned by James Buchanan. Includes two sets of rails. Originals have carvings on top edge and hold multiple slats. Modern set accommodates modern box spring and mattress with iron supports.
Serpentine valance/skirt bead molded at bottom of skirt. Rounded edge at top, elaborate scroll-cut bracket feet with casters. Rectangular in shape, over-stuffed upholstery: black damask horsehair.
Some nicks and scrapes on veneer. When acquired: benches were covered in green velvet ca 1956, upholstered in red 1981 benches were recovered in black horsehair: The Upholstery Center 201 South Broad Street Lititz, PA 17543 717-627-2331 $55.00 for Each
Bookcase composed of two sections. The upper cabinet has two hinged doors that latch at center. The shelving is adjustable and both doors feature 12 oblong-shaped glass panes and mullions. The lower cabinet has two hinged wood doors that latch and lock at the center; each door features a square recessed panel.
Provenance
Thomas Potter
To - William Morris Meredith
To - James Buchanan
To - Harriet Lane Johnston
To - John Newton Lane
To - James Buchanan Lane II
To - Thomasina Thomas Lane
To - James Buchanan Foundation
Thomas Potter - 2nd owner of Wheatland
Sold to - William Morris Meredith for $75
Sold to - James Buchanan for $75
Bequeathed to - Harriet Lane Johnston
Bequeathed to - John Newton Lane, Harriet's nephew
Bequeathed to - James Buchanan Lane II, John N. Lane's son
Bequeathed to - Thomasina Thomas Lane, James B. Lane II's spouse
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.
Bookcase composed of two sections. Cabinet with glass doors at top and cabinet with wooden doors at bottom. Two glass doors have square mullions holding the panes. Doors give access to moveable shelves inside. Two doors at bottom of each have simple rectangular recessed panels.
Thomas Potter - 2nd owner of Wheatland
Sold to William Morris Meredith 3rd owner of Wheatland
Sold to James Buchanan 4th owner of Wheatland
Inherited by Harriet Lane Johnston 5th owner of Wheatland
Bequeathed to John Newton Lane, Harriet Lane Johnston's nephew
Bequeathed to Mrs. Patty Lane Fay daughter of John N. Lane
Bookcases sold to Meredith in 1845 by Potter then Meredith sold them to James Buchanan in 1848. Letter dated 9/27/1848 to Buchanan from Meredith: 'In addition to the $6750 which you mention, I paid Mr. Potter for the bookcases in the library, I think $75.00.'
One of a pair of Empire side chairs (with 2013.008.22) with yellow upholstered seat and cherry wood frame. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Back uprights have slight cyma curve, surmounted by a long, wide concave tablet. Tablet has low relief foliate carved ends while most of face is covered with a panel of mahogany veneer. Tablet extends beyond back uprights. Horizontal splat at center of back is pierced carved with a central rectangle flanked by half-moon carved shells, and is then supported by paired, loosely scrolled lyre-like "legs" that attach to chair posts. Trapezoid slip seat upholstered in an ivory cotton brocade. Front legs have a slight cyma curve.
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.
Bought at sale by Dr. Metzger who gave chair to Mrs. C. F. May. Mrs. May presented chair to Wheatland in memory of her husband. According to Board Minutes, this only concerns the straight char and not the rocker.
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.
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.
Upholstered blue velvet side chair. Highly carved creset with bird and grape vine mofti. Chair upholstered back is button-tufted and framed with natural swirl carvings. Upholstered seat apron has center carving of floret and leaves with scroll carvings at the top of the cabriolet legs terminating in casters.
A night commode chair that has a four-slat back crest with a Windsor arrow design at the lower back of the chair. The high back chair has turned legs, which are braced by ring-turned box stretchers. The seat has a hole cut out at its center with a separate wood lid with a wrought-iron handle fixed by two screws. The underside of the seat no longer has rabbets to support its zinc or lead chamberpot.
Rocking chair in the Pennsylvania Dutch style with wide, boldly rounded hoop back and wide vase-shaped splat. The arms are downcurved, about two inches wide, and terminate in large convex scrolls. The arms are supported by short, simply turned arm stumps. The solid wood seat is one to two inches thick, rolled at front and upcurved at rear. The seat is supported by four short turned legs mounted on rockers about 28 inches long. These are braced front and rear by single turned stretchers. Body coat of brown is overlaid with clusters of fruit on back top rail, splat and front of seat in polychrome colors and is striped in gilt.
water spotting cleaned by conservator in early months of 2020 following a water leak inside the bedchamber caused by contractor error during roof restoration project.
Windsor-back rocking chair. The comb-shaped crest has gold painted trim and hand-painted floral, fruit and nut designs. The slab seat also has a hand-painted gilt outline. The two front legs have gilded turnings along with the front stretcher. The two back legs are canted into the rockers and are plain and round with a thin round plain stretcher. Dark wood. Six thin back rails.
Upholstered rocking chair. Black upholstery with button design. Serpentine shape at back support. Arm rest cushions upholstered. Fancy S-scroll wood, cut design, where arms join to front of seat. Seat thick. Slight serpentine front skirt has foliate scroll
Provenance
James Buchanan
Clarence and Ella Myers of York, PA
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Rauhauser, Jr.
The Myers told their granddaughter Jean Bruns that the chair originally belonged to President James Buchanan
One of a pair of Empire side chairs (with 2013.008.21) with yellow upholstered seat and cherry wood frame. Elements of entire frame are flat with rounded fronts. Back uprights have slight cyma curve, surmounted by a long, wide concave tablet. Tablet has low relief foliate carved ends while most of face is covered with a panel of mahogany veneer. Tablet extends beyond back uprights. Horizontal splat at center of back is pierced carved with a central rectangle flanked by half-moon carved shells, and is then supported by paired, loosely scrolled lyre-like "legs" that attach to chair posts. Trapezoid seat. Front legs have a slight cyma curve.