The most intriguing furniture pieces in the Lambton Heritage Museum collection have compelling stories that connect individuals and objects through space and time. People personalize objects, change them to suit their needs, and mark them with their signature. Pieces are given as gifts or are passed down among family members and friends for many years. Some items trigger our memories and take us back to the past. It is fascinating to imagine how something was used many years ago, the lives of the people who used it, and the significant events it may have witnessed. Here are six highlights of our furniture collection, each with its own unique story.
Blanket Box
Blanket boxes were popular from the 1600s to 1800s. They were used to store bedding, linens, and clothing. Their flat top provided a place to sit. This French-Canadian style blanket box is made of basswood and walnut. It was built with hand-forged nails and dovetail joints. The lid is attached to the box with iron hinges and a metal chain for extra support. The interior is completely lined with newspapers and receipts dating back to 1815. The main newspaper used was Le Spectateur Canadien (1813-1829), a Montreal paper that covered the War of 1812 and other events in Upper and Lower Canada. This blanket box was found along the St. Clair waterfront in Sombra Township and likely belonged to an early settler.
Chest of Drawers
This chest of drawers features a beautiful flame mahogany veneer on top of less expensive wood. Flame mahogany is cut from the nook of a tree where a limb sticks out of the trunk. This rare and expensive cut produces a flame-like pattern. The chest of drawers has four drawers and the original locks. It is a rich-looking piece that probably belonged to a well-off family. On the back there is an inscription: “Mrs. P. Gilbert, Port Sarnia, C. West.” Sarnia was officially called Port Sarnia until January 1, 1857. This piece dates from around that time. By then, Phoebe (Pier) Gilbert (1818-1907) had already faced more than her fair share of misfortune. She lost her husband, Charles, and two of their young children in July 1854 during a cholera epidemic. By 1857, she was back on her feet, having opened a millinery and fancy store on Front Street.
Drop-leaf Desk
This interesting drop-leaf desk with hutch sits on a table base. It came from Howard Moore’s grocery store in Brigden. Moore (1889-1968) bought the store in about 1915 from Charles Cameron Watson. Moore ran the store for many years with his wife Margaret McDonald. The store contained a post office until 1952. Moore’s employees stocked shelves and delivered groceries using bicycles with large carriers. Four of his delivery boys came from the Bradshaw family. Bruce, Ed, Jerry, and Leo delivered groceries between 1945 and 1957. Howard and Margaret’s son Bill kept the store open after their deaths until the mid 1970s. This desk ended up with their former delivery boy, Leo Bradshaw. When you fold down the leaf, you can see different notes and signatures including the names of Howard Moore and his sister Edith. Perhaps the desk came from their parents’ home before being used in Moore’s grocery store.
Shipwreck Chairs
These red and yellow deck chairs are missing their seats. Judging by appearance alone, neither is extraordinary but their provenance makes them remarkable. From November 7 to 10, the Great Storm of 1913 raged over the Great Lakes. On land, buildings and powerlines were destroyed. On the water, dozens of ships were ruined or grounded. Over 250 people lost their lives. Five ships were wrecked on Lake Huron near Grand Bend. After the storm, debris washed ashore along with the bodies of unfortunate sailors. Mr. Hawkins of Exeter retrieved these chairs from a beach north of Grand Bend. We do not know what ship they came from, but it was likely a casualty of this epic storm. Formerly housed in the Eisenbach Museum, these chairs were part of the founding collection of Lambton Heritage Museum.
Converted Desk
This piece of furniture is a great example of creative re-use. Originally, it was a melodeon, a keyboard instrument like a pump organ. It was used in Sarnia’s earliest pioneer church. It is a formal piece from the early-to-mid-1800s made of walnut and covered with an expensive rosewood veneer. In 1921, Edward Carroll Lawrence (1878-1961) had the melodeon converted into a writing desk as a gift for his wife Ada Jane Hanes. Lawrence was a fourth-generation lumberman. His father, William Frederick Lawrence, built the stately Queen Anne Revival style Lawrence House in Sarnia in 1892. Edward joined his father and brother, William Ralph Lawrence, in business in 1905. When his brother died in 1921, Edward became sole proprietor of the Lawrence Lumber Company. He knew his way around wood. Although the desk conversion cost $65, he knew it was worthwhile due to the quality of the wood.
Bench
If you were a teenager in Sarnia in the 1950s, 60s, or 70s, you may have sat on this bench at Rose Gardens Roller Rink near Canatara Park. The bench was originally double-sided and used at Sarnia City Hall. It was purchased by Rose Gardens proprietors Dick and Elsie Rose when City Hall was demolished in 1953. On the back of the bench a small white emblem reads “Canatara Park Sarnia. Rose Gardens Roller Skating & Dancing. Open Year Round.” Underneath, there is a gold-plated depiction of a roller skate with a pair of wings. Lambton Heritage Museum has a special relationship with Rose Gardens. When the building was torn down in 1974, the beams and steel decking were salvaged. Architect William Andrews incorporated them into his plans for the museum, which opened in 1978.
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