A number of chests carved in a manner not seen elsewhere have been
found in and about Hadley, Massachusetts, and this has given them the
name of Hadley chests. The carving in all is similar, upon the front
only, the ends being panelled, and all have three panels above the
drawers, with initials carved in the middle panel. The other two
panels have a conventionalized tulip design, which is carved upon the
rest of the front, in low relief. The carving is usually stained while
the background is left the natural color of the wood.
Illustration 6 shows a Hadley chest with one drawer owned by Dwight M.
Prouty, Esq., of Boston.
[Illustration: Illus. 5.—Panelled Chest with Two Drawers, about 1675.]
Carved chests with three drawers are rarely found in any design,
although the plain board chests were made with that number.
Illustration 7 and Illustration 8 show chests mounted upon frames.
Illustration 8 stands thirty-two inches high and is thirty inches wide,
and is made of oak, with one drawer. It is in the collection of Charles
R. Waters, Esq., of Salem. Illustration 7 is slightly taller, with one
drawer. This chest is in the collection of the late Major Ben: Perley
Poore, at Indian Hill. Such chests upon frames are rarely found, and by
some they are supposed to have been made for use as desks; but it seems
more probable that they were simple chests for linen, taking the place
of the high chest of drawers which was gradually coming into fashion
during the latter half of the seventeenth century, and possibly being
its forerunner. Chests continued in manufacture and in use until after
1700, but they were probably not made later than 1720 in any numbers,
as several years previous to that date they were inventoried as “old,”
a word which was as condemnatory in those years as now, as far as the
fashions were concerned.
[Illustration: Illus. 6.—Carved Chest with One Drawer, about 1700.]
Chests of drawers appear in inventories about 1645. They were usually
made of oak and were similar in design to the chests of that period.
The oak chest of drawers in Illustration 9 is owned by E. R. Lemon,
Esq., of the Wayside Inn, Sudbury. It has four drawers, and the
decoration is simply panelling. The feet are the large balls which were
used upon chests finished with a deep moulding at the lower edge. The
drop handles are of an unusual design, the drop being of bell-flower
shape. This chest of drawers was found in Malden.
[Illustration: Illus. 7 and Illus. 8—Panelled Chests upon Frames,
1670-1700.]
Illustration 10 shows a very fine oak chest of four drawers, owned by
Dwight M. Prouty, Esq., of Boston. The spindles upon this chest are
unusually good, especially the large spindles upon the stiles. There is
a band of simple carving between the drawers. The ends are panelled and
the handles are wooden knobs.
[Illustration: Illus. 9.—Panelled Chest of Drawers, about 1680.]
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