Nineteenth Century Loudoun County, Virginia
Chair Manufacturing
By Dr. Fred D. Johnson
 Book Description
This 270-page book is filled with photographs, drawings and charts
that illustrate the surprising diversity and undeniable skill of
local chair manufacturers. While the reader will be immediately
captivated by the beauty of the objects that are pictured in this
volume, it is very much a "hands on" manual, specifically
designed to enable owners of local chairs, rockers and other "specialty
pieces" to identify what they have and who made them.
Dr. Johnson's passion for 19th century furniture, in particular
the distinctive acorn finial chairs and rockers that were made
in the Waterford area by John Mount, began while attending local
country auctions in the early 1970s. He soon realized, however,
that the dispersal of these pieces from the homes of their original
owners would preclude any possibility of recording their history,
or identifying their makers.
To remedy this situation, Dr. Johnson began to photograph and
meticulously measure the chairs that he encountered. Each chair
was assigned a number that was recorded on a label affixed to a
back leg, and the measurements and other data were kept on individual
sheets. (To date, he has personally inspected 426 side chairs,
126 armless rockers, 99 arm rockers, 74 plank-seat chairs, 26 child's
chairs and rockers, 6 armed side chairs and 2 benches.) During
the hours before auctions, Dr. Johnson frequently attracted a crowd
of onlookers eager to witness the documentation process and learn
about Loudoun's rich heritage of local furniture makers. He was
always generous in sharing this information, and it was not long
before he was being invited into the homes of "old-timers" and
collectors to "authenticate" their locally made furniture.
A significant break-through occurred in 1991 when he received
permission to inspect William Henry Brown's former chair manufactory
near Hamilton. It had lain undisturbed for almost a century, and
provided significant clues on the chair-making process as well
as aiding in maker attribution.
In 1994 Dr. Johnson collaborated with Reverend W. Brown Morton
to mount an exhibit of 19th century furniture and chairs at the
Waterford Foundation's annual Fair. This show and its accompanying
catalogue, Made in Waterford,
stimulated interest in local furniture, resulting in a significant
increase in demand for so-called "Waterford" chairs and
rockers. The publicity and interest generated by the exhibit led
to the discovery of many new examples of local furniture and aided
the attribution to chair makers in surrounding towns, including
Lovettsville, Hamilton, Hillsboro, Middleburg and Ashburn. Dr.
Johnson had always intended to make his research available in a
more permanent format, but the pace of new discoveries delayed
publication until now. Collectors and others interested in local
furniture will find the resulting book well worth the wait.
Dr. Johnson begins his book with a brief description of 19th
century Loudoun, followed by biographic sketches of the county's
principal chair makers, including reproductions of advertisements
that these craftsmen placed in local newspapers. A third chapter
introduces the reader to the terminology and construction process
used by local chair makers. It includes a step-by-step guide showing
the reader how to attribute chairs to individual makers. (More
than 90 chair and cabinet-makers known to have been active in the
county are listed in an appendix.)
Separate chapters are devoted to descriptions and illustrations
of the principal categories: side chairs (both splint seat and
plank bottom), mother's (armless) rockers, arm rockers, children's
chairs and rockers, and "special chairs" (including cane
seat federal style chairs, armed side chairs, wagon chairs, highchairs,
and benches). The many photographs and line drawings prepared by
the author provide the reader with a clear picture of these different
types, including styles and techniques attributable to particular
makers. Of particular interest are illustrations showing original
finishes and painted decoration. The resulting book can best be
described as a "labor of love" that was almost thirty
years in the making.
Book Details
• Paperback: Dimensions: 6 x 9 inches
• Publisher: Waterford Foundation (2003)
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