Signpost is a free ezine from Bob Dillon Windsor Chairs. It is the
mission of this monthly ezine to explore the history and contruction of
Windsor chairs as well as other aspects of life in early America. For more
information please go
to Signpost Info.
To SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE, see below.
***Signpost***
Issue No. Ten -- December 1, 2000
Contents:
- News
- The Windsor Settee
- The White House, an American Treasure
- The First Thanksgiving Proclamation, June 20, 1676
NEWS:
I didn't set out to do a lot of work on the site last month, but I ended up with a bunch of changes and additions anyway.
I mentioned last month that I was redesigning the Chair Pages. Well, by the time I was done I had given the whole site a make-over. Pretty much the same content, just a new look. I hope you will take a look.
I also introduced the "Newsbox" last month. Now I've carried that another step. I will be updating it once a week and will include links to some interesting articles and books -- about chairs and other furniture, home decorating, house restoration, early American history.... After these links have spent a week in the "box" I will retire them to the Newsbox Page and eventually compile them into a directory.
By the way, there is a little bit of self-interest in the book links I will be choosing for Newsbox. You will notice that they lead you to Amazon.com where I recently became an Associate. If you make a purchase after following any of my Amazon links I will receive a small commission. That does not increase the price to you, of course. You will find more information about all this on the Newsbox Page.
In an effort to increase my subscriber list, I recently listed Signpost on three ezine directories. Two of those offer you, my dear, wonderful readers, an opportunity to let them know what you think of Signpost. I hope you will click through and weigh in with your learned observations. Actually, it's more of "rate-it-from-1-to-10" kind of thing and should only take a minute or so. My thanks in advance for any kindnesses you might throw my way.
For the benefit those of you who receive mail in text-only format (AOL subscribers, for instance -- and you folks make up about half my mailing list) I will be sending this, and future, issues as an attachment to the regular version. Just click on the download button or the paper clip icon or whatever your mail program uses and you will get the HTML version in all its glory. (If all else fails, you can find it at www.bobdillonwindsorchairs.com/snpst10.html.)
I announced before that there would not be a January issue -- December is just a little too hectic to get it done. But I'll be back it February. Remember, there's a mail link down at the bottom for your comments and questions. Happy Holidays.
Until next time,
Bob
The Windsor Settee
A settee is any unupholstered seating furniture which has a back and can accommodate two or more sitters. Settees for two are often called love-seats. Any Windsor settee can also be called a Windsor bench.
As with American Windsors in general, most of the earliest (1750-70) settees were made in Philadelphia. Most of the surviving ones are low-backs. Some sack-back settees were made in Philadelphia starting around 1765 but apparently not very many, even though sack-back chairs far outnumbered low-back chairs at that time. Then again, the low-back is not structurally compromised when lengthened into a settee whereas the taller ones are, at least to some extent. These structural differences may account for the greater number of surviving low-backs.
Most settees had arms, but a few did not. Lacking the bracing function of arms, such a "side-settee" would have to be heavily built. It would be handy, however, when used along the side of a table where the kids could simply slide in or out without having to move the bench.
Love-seats were occasionally built like two blended chairs, with separate sculpted areas for each occupant.
The smallest settees were about 36 inches long; anything smaller would be hard pressed to accommodate two adults. Some of the smallest had four legs but most used six, if only to create a visually more balanced under-carriage. As a settee gets longer the medial stretcher(s) extends to disproportional lengths, unless the space is filled out with more legs. Consequently, the longest benches -- probably seven feet or so -- stood on eight or ten legs.
Bow-back settees, with sawn arms tenoned into the bow, seem to have been made more than sack-backs. Other types, made in even lesser numbers were the continuous-arm and fan-back, as well as the rare double- and triple-backs. Rod-back settees, starting around 1800, were made in the greatest numbers, as well as in the greatest variety of color, decoration and back design. In the first quarter of the nineteenth century rod-backs were often produced as part of a set: typically two arm-chairs, six side-chairs and a settee, all similarly constructed and decorated.
The White House, an American Treasure
from Whitehouse.gov
For two hundred years, the White House has stood as a symbol of the Presidency, the United States government, and the American people. Its history, and the history of the nation’s capital, began when President George Washington signed an Act of Congress in December of 1790 declaring that the federal government would reside in a district "not exceeding ten miles square... on the river Potomac." President Washington, together with city planner Pierre L’Enfant, chose the site for the new residence, which is now 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. As preparations began for the new federal city, a competition was held to find a builder of the "President’s House." Nine proposals were submitted, and Irish-born architect James Hoban won a gold medal for his practical and handsome design.
Construction began when the first cornerstone was laid in October of 1792. Although President Washington oversaw the construction of the house, he never lived in it. It was not until 1800, when the White House was nearly completed, that its first residents, President John Adams and his wife, Abigail, moved in. Since that time, each President has made his own changes and additions. The White House is, after all, the President’s private home. It is also the only private residence of a head of state that is open to the public, free of charge.
The White House has a unique and fascinating history. It survived a fire at the hands of the British in 1814 (during the war of 1812) and another fire in the West Wing in 1929, while Herbert Hoover was President. Throughout much of Harry S. Truman’s presidency, the interior of the house, with the exception of the third floor, was completely gutted and renovated while the Trumans lived at Blair House, right across Pennsylvania Avenue. Nonetheless, the exterior stone walls are those first put in place when the White House was constructed two centuries ago.
Presidents can express their individual style in how they decorate some parts of the house and in how they receive the public during their stay. Thomas Jefferson held the first Inaugural open house in 1805. Many of those who attended the swearing-in ceremony at the U.S. Capitol simply followed him home, where he greeted them in the Blue Room. President Jefferson also opened the house for public tours, and it has remained open, except during wartime, ever since. In addition, he welcomed visitors to annual receptions on New Year’s Day and on the Fourth of July. In 1829, a horde of 20,000 Inaugural callers forced President Andrew Jackson to flee to the safety of a hotel while, on the lawn, aides filled washtubs with orange juice and whiskey to lure the mob out of the mud-tracked White House.
After Abraham Lincoln’s presidency, Inaugural crowds became far too large for the White House to accommodate them comfortably. However, not until Grover Cleveland’s first presidency did this unsafe practice change. He held a presidential review of the troops from a flag-draped grandstand built in front of the White House. This procession evolved into the official Inaugural parade we know today. Receptions on New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July continued to be held until the early 1930s.
President Clinton’s open house on January 21, 1993, renewed a venerable White House Inaugural tradition. Two thousand citizens, selected by lottery, were greeted in the Diplomatic Reception Room by President and Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore.
The following is reprinted with permission from the University of Maryland
The First Thanksgiving Proclamation
On June 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown,
Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express
thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community
securely established. By unamimous vote they instructed
Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of
thanksgiving, our first. That proclamation is reproduced here
in the same language and spelling as the original.
THE FIRST THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION - JUNE 20, 1676:
"The Holy God having by a long and Continual Series
of his Afflictive dispensations in and by the present Warr
with the Heathen Natives of this land, written and brought
to pass bitter things against his own Covenant people in this
wilderness, yet so that we evidently discern that in the midst
of his judgements he hath remembered mercy, having remembered
his Footstool in the day of his sore displeasure against us for
our sins, with many singular Intimations of his Fatherly Compassion,
and regard; reserving many of our Towns from Desolation Threatened,
and attempted by the Enemy, and giving us especially of late with
many of our Confederates many signal Advantages against them,
without such Disadvantage to ourselves as formerly we have been
sensible of, if it be the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed,
It certainly bespeaks our positive Thankfulness, when our Enemies
are in any measure disappointed or destroyed; and fearing the
Lord should take notice under so many Intimations of his
returning mercy, we should be found an Insensible people, as
not standing before Him with Thanksgiving, as well as lading
him with our Complaints in the time of pressing Afflictions:
The Council has thought meet to appoint and set apart the
29th day of this instant June, as a day of Solemn Thanksgiving
and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favour, many
Particulars of which mercy might be Instanced, but we doubt not
those who are sensible of God's Afflictions, have been as diligent
to espy him returning to us; and that the Lord may behold us as
a People offering Praise and thereby glorifying Him; the Council
doth commend it to the Respective Ministers, Elders and people
of this Jurisdiction; Solemnly and seriously to keep the same
Beseeching that being perswaded by the mercies of God we may all,
even this whole people offer up our bodies and soulds as a
living and acceptable Service unto God by Jesus Christ."
Prepared by Gerald Murphy (The Cleveland Free-Net - aa300)
Distributed by the Cybercasting Services Division of the
National Public Telecomputing Network (NPTN).
Sources
- The Windsor Style in America, Charles Santore, Courage Books, 1997
- Welcome to the White House
- University of Maryland
- University of Maryland Reading Room
Further Links:
Comments? Questions? Send email. I will
publish your letters in the next Signpost, as space allows.
To
UNSUBSCRIBE please email with "unsubscribe" in the
subject box.
To SUBSCRIBE I need only
your email address. A name would
also be nice but is not required.