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beautiful cradle is another good example of the utility of the
furniture of this era. It's also an example of not wasting anything
including space. Take a very close look at it's construction.
The sculptured posts at each of the four ends actually doubled
as legs when the cradle was flipped over. The rockers became arms
and the mattress was reversed to the other side to present a seat
cushion. With this simple maneuver, the cradle became a sitting
bench. An ingenious design don't you think? The rug on this floor
is carpet size even though it was still hand woven. The small
runner exhibits a bit more of an elaborate pattern than was ordinarily
displayed. Again, we see an armoire begin employed for storage
and as a closet. The smaller chair just behind the cradle is a
child's chair, while the rocker is adult sized. It's intriguing
to realize from the size of this furniture, just how small people
of this day were. At first glance, it appears that all of the
furniture is child size, but the truth is that people were simply
smaller then. |
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The
large armoire and the sitting chair appear to be made from some
hardwood with a darker grain. Actually all of the furnishings
and the woodwork in this dwelling are pine. This was an available
wood in the area. A burling effect is evident on a lot of wood
and this was achieved in an interesting fashion. These people
were truly master finishers who used various vegetable and plant
dyes. However, the burling effect was very often the result of
using oxblood swirled on with a feather. (No, you can't purchase
that at our Rockler Hardware affiliate.) The dress which appears
on the mannequin is a replica of one of Mrs. Hinckley's. When
you are able to actually see this from close up, you realize that
Mrs. Hinckley was a very small woman who did not even measure
5 feet. Just imagine her scurrying about, caring for the 11 children
(or for that matter giving birth to all of them) and at the same
time tending to any guests who might be at the Cove Fort. Various
forms of headgear appear on the coat rack. |
| This
chair appears very ornate at first glance, but on closer inspection
it is apparent that the lines are very simple, while the finish
work is elegant. Given the items available for finishing, this
is really an achievement. The dark no doubt would have come from
some sort of berry dye. The burling effects on the chair and the
armoire directly behind it were no doubt achieved with the aid
of a feather and a bit of oxblood. The rockers on this chair are
less sculpted than others seen throughout the dwelling, making
it a better example of the handcrafting of the period. Unfortunately,
the furniture throughout the Cove fort is not the original pieces
that the Hinckley's had, but it has been accumulated from other
sources and is authentic to the period. Much of the needlework
you see here is very fancy and detailed as shown by the blue shirtwaist
that is laying on the bed. Once again, look how close the chair
seat is to the floor, portraying just how small the people of
this age were. |
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This
is rather a hodge podge grouping of table and chairs. Apparently
the renovators were trying to give a feel for the various styles
of the period. In addition, many settlers brought with them family
furniture which had been passed down from a former generation.
The puzzle pieces atop the table tell us one of the ways that
the leisure time of these people was spent. No just flipping a
switch and going into a coma in front of a flickering screen of
images. A pair of leather pants is draped across the chair near
the fireplace. These are indicative of the Native American influence
on these people. We were told by our guide that the Native American's
loved to trade for the fancy clothing of the settler's. Possibly
some piece of hand embroidered clothing was traded for these leather
leggings. On the mantel is a straw broom for sweeping away cinders
and ashes. The small jar next to the broom would have held matches
(although not as we know them today) or other firestarting equipment.
Oddly, the floor in this room is not graced by rugs. |
| Ok,
all you crafters, particularly those with weaving skills, tell
me what you call this piece of furniture. I thought it had to
be some sort of spinning wheel. In fact, it is called a "weasel"
and was used to allow combing and sorting of yarn. On the walls
you see two pictures displayed, and while I can't tell you exactly
what these are, I can tell you that the walls of the living areas
abound with various pictures and mirrors. They have been collected
from a variety of sources and most of them are marked and dated.
One mirror I saw carried a lable in very ornate calligraphy, proclaiming
it to have come from the donater's Great Grandmother who acquired
it in 1799. It was in remarkable shape with only a very few black
spots where the backing had worn off. The frame itself was still
sturdy and relatively unmarred by time. The Mormon caretakers
have done a great job of procuring furnishings that truly portray
this time in history. |
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This
chair shows the hand hewing of it's spindles and legs and is a
fine example of the furniture appropriate to this time. Around
1869, Cove Fort lost it's usefulness with the arrival of the railroad.
Ira Hinckley's brother Arza managed the fort between 1877 to 1882.
Then it was taken over by several parties between 1901 and 1911
and was finally taken over by William Kesler and his descendants.
They operated it, attempting to restore it from 1911 to 1988.
It was then that descendants of the Hinckley family purchased
the property and donated it to the Mormon Church. It has since
been as completely restored as possible by volounteers of the
Church. All of the actual structure is original and a great job
has been done in replacing furnishings with pieces that reflect
the styles of this period in time. The restoration was begun immediately
in 1988 and is ongoing. The main concentration is now on the outbuildings
and restoring them to an example of the way they would have appeared
and been used in the 1800's. |
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