Alice collected dozens of chairs, tables, sofas, beds, dressers, and other pieces of furniture needed to turn the museum into a true representation of a “colonial home.” The pieces range from simple and sturdy Windsor rockers to examples of high-style craftsmanship like the Queen Anne high chest in the Weaving Room. Like many of her fellow collectors in the early 20th century, Alice had a broad definition of “colonial” that encompassed objects made in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries. Because she was not aiming to create precise reproductions of specific period rooms, she felt free to mix furniture of different time periods and styles in the rooms of the museum.

The Child’s Chamber holds an assortment of children’s and toy furniture, salesmen’s samples, and apprentice pieces. These charming miniature chairs, clocks, desks, and dressers never fail to delight visitors.

A more recent addition to the furniture collection is several pieces made by the Sciota Manufacturing Company, which were donated to the museum by the estate of Dr. George W. Clark of Chazy.

Image at top: American painted fancy chair, ca. 1830