Wardrobe with mirrored door. Overhanging cornice molded. Frieze has cock-bead molding, same molding on drawer front and down front sides. Rounded corners. Mirror in single door front is rounded at top corners with floral relief framing. Keyhole escutcheo
David A. Weaver, Cabinet Work, Quarryville, PA completed refinishing in 1993.
Object ID
W.1992.012.001
Notes
Accessioned twice - second accession number is 00.33.1. Removed folder 00.33.1 on 27 June 2011 and merged with file 92.12. All documentation is now in file 92.12.
Rosewood bed with walnut, poplar, and pine. Headboard higher than footboard, but identical in shape. Arched crest with c-curved finish. This is repeated with molding below and on footboard. Molding is cyma-curved and appears on the outside of footboard and inside of headboard. The top of each post is capped with a round finial that transitions to squat bun above a smooth cylinder above a ring and ball shape that transitions to ring and vase surmounting an octagonal post terminates on bun feet Scroll cut brackets connect the posts to the side rails that feature cyma-curved molding.
Bed is higher at headboard than at footboard. Footboard height is 42.625'.
Condition
Excellent
Condition Date
2022-11-10
Condition Notes
Restoration done in 1992-1993 by David Weaver, cabinetmaker, Quarryville, PA. Restoration of rosewood.
Object ID
W.1992.001.039
Notes
Harriet had this custom built with large dimensions to accomodate her Uncle James Buchanan's size. It was intended for his use whenever he would visit her at her Baltimore, Maryland home.
Bedspread, Jacquard-woven, reversible, beige (originally white?) background with red and two shades of green woven in. Central medallion design has a central flower, surrounded by a sun, surrounded by more flowers. At outside corners, spread-wing eagle c
Rosewood chest of drawers has a white marble top with round-carved front corners surmounting turned columns terminating at bun cyma-curved feet. Chest has three drawers with two bulls-eye shaped wood pulls and a centered keyhole with circular raised trim. Centered on the marble top is a rosewood framed mirror with a serpentine crest flanked by scroll cut shelf brackets.
Paddle-shaped softwood fan is decorated with a carved/woodburned and pencil-scored line drawing of a woman's head in profile with the date "MAY First 1903" inscribed below neck. Adjacent to face in bold lettering is "YEATES". The woman has a comb or crest mounted on top of her pinned-up hairdo with the letter "Y". Opposite side of fan has pencil inscription that appears to read in part, "Alice Potter Fordney" and "Yeates School / Lancaster / Pa." (See Notes)
Unfinished wood is strongly darkened from oxidation and soil, with some liquid staining on both sides. Pencil inscription difficult to read.
Object ID
2002.617.6
Notes
The Yeates School was a boys preparatory school operated by the Episcopal Church. It was last located along the Lincoln Highway in East Lampeter Twp. at the site of the present-day Lancaster Mennonite School. The property and buildings has been abandoned by the time the Mennonites began to clean up and build on the site in 1942.
It is likely this is the same school that was called the Yeates Institute in the 19th century, as that school is described in Ellis and Evans' History of Lancaster County, pp. 227, 413, 468 and 484.
Page 227 - Catharine Yeates (1783-1866), unmarried daughter of Jasper Yeates, founded the Yeates Institute initially for the education of poor young men for the ministry.
Page 413 - The institute was incorporated Aug. 18, 1857 for "the education of young men in all the customary branches of a thorough academicl course of learning" as well as for "mercantile pursuits, for universities and higher colleges, and also for holy orders, if desired." It was endowed by Miss Yeates and governed by a board of 7 men including the rector of St. James parish. The school declined, but reopened Sept. 1, 1878 south of the Duke St. parish until a brick structure could be built at the NW corner of N. Duke and E. Walnut Sts. It had about 45 students circa 1883.
Page 468 Endowed through the influence of Episcopal Bishop Samuel Bowman.
Page 484 Rev. Theodore Hopkins served as pricipal of Yeates School.
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Copy of painting of Harriet Lane. Brownish-green background, lighter to lower right. Harriet Lane is seated, torso 1/4 to her left, head facing forward. Right hand in lap holding handle of gold fan. Left hand holding white handkerchief resting on table top.
Donor commissioned copy based on original portrait by G. C. Munzig in 1899. Original portrait gifted to Mr. Speer through his aunt, Mary Clarke Speer Denny, who was a companion to Harriet Lane Johnston. This copy was painted by Ted Morrow of Baltimore, Maryland. He also painted two other copies.
James Buchanan's Inaugural Rail Car Window Screen was painted by Philip Kraus to depict the northern façade of Buchanan's Wheatland home. The farm's carriage house is seen in the West meadow; in the foreground the artist painted the east carriage path, trees and meadow grasses.
Philip Kraus was a German artist living in Baltimore, Maryland. The mid-19th century contemporary name for this type of artwork was known as "stained glass". Kraus was commissioned to paint the screen by Robert Magraw, then president of the Northern Central Railroad for James Buchanan's inauguration rail car.
The elaborate, high relief carved stand was made after Buchanan's inauguration for William Magruder, Mayor of Washington, D.C. He purchased the window screen from Robert Magraw.
On March 2, 1857, Buchanan would begin his journey to Washington, D.C. for his inauguration. For the trip from Lancaster to Washington, D.C., Supt. of the Phila. & Columbia Railroad, Joseph B. Baker, had prepared four rail cars for Buchanan that were decorated with patriotic scenes. One decorative touch included the use of window screens that were painted with images of Wheatland. These window screens were composed of painted or "stained" glass that could be placed in the existing window wells.
Buchanan's train traveled to Baltimore and then to Washington, D.C. The increasing affordability of railroad travel not only made Buchanan's inauguration trip possible, it also permitted many other people throughout the nation to attend the events. The crowds in Washington, D.C. for Buchanan's inauguration were the largest in history up to that time. He was sworn into office on March 4, 1857.
Place of Origin
Baltimore, Maryland
Credit
Acquired through the generosity of Andrew Bieber, Michael Birkner and Robin Wagner-Birkner, Margot Brubaker, Tom and Jan Dunlevy, Thomas G. Englert, Jerre and Phyllis Frankhouser, Dr. Wendell L. Funk, Eugene and Bernadette Gardner, Anne and Gene Gardner, Susan and James Volker.
Lancaster Borough seal is a thick disk of bronze with the seal depicted on one side and nothing but a small "T" struck at the edge of the opposite side. Sides taper slightly inward from blank side to image side, and are decorated with a center coved ring flanked by incised rings.
Image of seal on the face has a central shield divided in two with 3 sheaves of wheat at top and a rose at bottom. Vining roses surround shield. Around edge of perimeter is inscribed "SEAL OF THE BOROUGH OF LANCASTER 1781." Encircling the lettering is a decorating line of dots.
Provenance
Unknown provenance except purchase from Robert F. McMurtrie.
James Buchanan's inaugural address speech printed on silk. Rectangular white silk with cobalt blue printing. Border c. 1' wide of morning glory vines. Heading: 'The Inaugural Address March 4, 1857. President Buchanan.' A round medallion and pictue medal
