Fine Furniture Gallery

"My furniture is hand made in two small shops in rural Virginia and Camden, Maine.   

   I grew up on a tree farm in Chester County, PA and served an apprenticeship in the shop of  E. Townsend Moore in Darling, PA (near Media, PA).  Moore was a curator at the Historic Wintertur Estate and Museum outside Wilmington, Delaware.  He had learned from Robert Treat Hogg who was part of a two centuries long legacy of Chester County fine furniture makers.   Chester County furniture developed a unique style that stemmed largely from the 17th century Welsh, English Quakers, and Dutch settlers.  Certain unique design features include use of line-and-berry holly inlay, paneled chests, and regional William & Mary period detail.   Except for painted pine pieces, Federal inlay, and my windsor chairs, I use only the abundant and traditional local hardwoods: cherry, maple, and walnut.  The Philadelphia makers, three hours by horse to the East, were producing some of the finest furniture in the colonies. That style been another strong influence on my work, especially with highly carved rococo pieces.  

        I've been making and learning about period furniture for over 30 years.  My pieces have been selected for museums and historic sites, including James Madison's Montpelior and Historic Jamestown.  I am included in the top 200 makers 'Directory of Artisans' put out by Early American Life Magazine.  

 

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​

​

​

     Rather than exact precise duplications, I prefer to make 'historically informed' pieces.  Unless requested by a museum, my furniture is not an exact reproduction, but will incorporate design motifs and joinery that is representative of 18th and 19th century furniture.  My work is representative of what an 18th century maker could have made, using similar hand-cut joinery and detail, but each piece is my own design and truly one of a kind.      Except for museum & historic site reproductions, where exact copies are desired, my furniture is one of kind, based on traditional design elements.

​

     I scour museum archives and study originals for ideas, patterns, moldings, inlay designs, & proportions.  I enjoy sketching details of the Chester County pieces I see in homes and exhibits in my home area.  I think that with time one develops a trained eye.  Craft is a combination of knowledge, skill and intuition all working together.  It takes time and work to gain this, but it's fun.  A passion for excellence and beauty is why I love to make furniture.   

     It can take 6 months or more to make a piece, depending on the complexity, amount of carving, etc.  I use dovetail and mortise & tenon joints cut by hand without jigs or machines.  In my opinion, the right look cannot be matched by machines. Surfaces are hand planed and hand scraped, resulting in subtle variations that reflect light which is so valued in the originals.  This is labour intensive, but usually appreciated by discerning furniture lovers.  

      I use oils for most of my finishes.  Linseed and other natural oils accentuate figured woods nicely.  I often use pigment dyes end with many thin coats of rubbed shellac or a silky thinned varnish for more protection on a table top.  My goal is to maximize the natural character of the wood, create a hand-made texture and chatoyance, whilst avoiding the plastic look common to factory furniture.  My pieces will last generations and will age gracefully, gaining the lovely patina of our favourite antique originals.