Glebe House Museum, Gertrude Jekyll Garden Acquire Carver’s Chair

WOODBURY — Glebe House Museum & The Gertrude Jekyll Garden recently purchased a very early turned carver’s chair (pictured) that descended directly in the local Stiles family. Antiques dealer David Schorsch, who serves on the museum board, and Bob Walin and Tucker Frey of Tucker Frey Antiques contacted the museum when the chair became available.

Thanks to their support along with several other contributors, in just a few days the money was raised to buy this wonderful piece of local history. The museum had added this important and commanding piece of furniture to its permanent collection. 

The carver’s chair, made sometime between 1680 and 1720, is one of the many pieces highlighted at the exhibition of Woodbury furniture and decorative arts, “Treasure’s of Historic Woodbury 1720–1840,” on view at the museum through October 18.

Historic Woodbury in the mid-1700s had a population of nearly 10,000 and included Southbury, Roxbury, Judea (soon to be changed to Washington), Bethlehem and the western parts of Middlebury and Oxford. The exhibition presents a unique opportunity to see more than 50 pieces of early Woodbury furniture displayed as it was meant to be used in an 18th Century Woodbury home.

Furnishings on display include pieces from the museum’s permanent collection and others on loan from Mattatuck Museum Arts and History Center, Gunn Historical Museum, Old Woodbury Historical Society, Bellamy Ferriday House and Garden, Connecticut Landmarks, First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Harold E. Cole Antiques, Nathan Liverant and Son Antiques, Jeremiah and Gail Conway, George E. Schoellkopf, Gail Lettick, along with other institutions, antiques dealers and private collections.

Glebe House Museum is at 49 Hollow Road. For information, visit TheGlebeHouse.org or call 263-2855.