the wedding present

A Pennsylvania cabinet maker's young daughter was about to be married, so the story goes. The year was 1878. The cabinet maker was declining in health but desired to make one more thing, a wedding present for his daughter and her bridegroom. So he worked in his little shop to transform a piece of mahogany into a beautiful oval table for the newlyweds' parlor. He wanted much detail to make the table stand out as one-of-a-kind so he used his lathe to crimp curls and curves, creating quite a showpiece and intricate areas for dusting.

When it came time for the no longer young bride and groom to break up their home, the table went to their daughter who enjoyed using it in her front hall. Upon her death, the table was taken by a son and sadly fell into some mishap or "disrepair." The son knew of his brother's great love for family heirlooms, so as a gift to his brother, he had the table repaired and refinished into a piece of great beauty once again.  One day he visited his brother and gifted him with the refurbished table.  The brother and his wife enjoyed the table so much. Eventually the brother died and his wife moved to a small apartment. Then came time for her to move to assisted living and for her children to "break up" her home.

The latest installment of this slightly embellished story is the most recent move of this parlor table to my house a few weeks ago. It is quickly becoming my favorite piece of furniture, partly because of the story behind it. Yes, that was my great-great-grandfather who made it for my great-grandmother, and then I saw it in my grandmother's front hall everytime I went up or down the stairs, then in my parents home, and finally now in my house. I wonder where it will go next.

Connecting to My Romantic Home for other "Show and Tells."