Tremendous outing in Edenton, November 1st, at the Fall Tidewater Chapter meeting. A wealth of Edenton history, architecture and furniture. Thanks to Ben Hobbs for the meeting idea and connections, as well as Andrew Ownbey for conducting the tour of the Cupola House and Hayes farm. Great knowledge and preservation skill.
Following are notes, and links provided by John Rowe and Austin Loney.
Jim Francis
Following are notes, and links provided by John Rowe and Austin Loney.
- Exterior and interior painting in preservation work was an interesting topic, where linseed paint and oil are important tools. Here's the link to Michiel Broun's book, and a link to his website, Brouns & Co. USA Linseed.
- Cleaning wooden floors. Here's a link to a historical method. I haven't checked the accuracy of the information, but it does seem to match what Andrew Ownbey and Ben described.
- Important books: The Chesapeake House; Edited by Cary Carson and Carl Lounsbury. The Furniture of Coastal North Carolina 1700 - 1820; John Bivens. Southern Furniture 1680-1830; Ronald Hurst and Jonathan Prown.
- Spring 2026: I'd like to have the meeting in the Williamsburg area, with topics that followup earlier presentations, support the items members plan to build in 2026, and that are presented by members in the Chapter. Other ideas:
- Explore in detail linseed oil paints (i.e. practice boards, tools, techniques).
- Democratic and windsor chairs; hole boring alignment techniques and jigs.
- Getting the most from your shave horse.
- Thomas White desk gallery construction.
- Lessons from a production shop.
- Fresh milk paint - making, and use on furniture.
- Fall 2026: I think attending MESDA's program, Southern Furniture and American Identity, Oct 23-24, would be a worthwhile event. I've contacted them, and they're excited about us attending.
Jim Francis