4. Antique Sheridan [?] Sofa and Two Matching Armchairs. These chairs were a gift from Mr. and Mrs. Braxton Davenport in 1967 . At the time, the Davenports lived at 4612 Kanawha [?] Dr. SE, Charleston, West Virginia. Mr. John Cook Wyllie arranged for the gift. This furniture was by Margaret Millarnsid [an interior designer?] who described this sofa in an 1867 letter as having been "built in Philadelphia in 1820" [c.1820?]. The frame is American poplar with mahogany exterior parts. It had been re-covered three times by 1867. In 1967 it was recovered again in a gold damask design chosen by Ms. Freudenberg and Miss Roy Land (Associate Librarian at the time.). The Chairs are reproductions which were valued at $500 each in 1967. The sofa itself was valued at $3800 in 1967. The sofa's panels and carvings are as shown in the Wallace Nutting's Treasury of American Furniture. Earlier, this ensemble resided in the Taylor Room.

Return to the Interactive Tour of the Room