Historic chair at Old State House offers a glimpse into what it takes to gather regional, First State History

By Dave Holsten, interpreter at The Old State House

For decades, visitors to The Old State House in Dover have passed by a regal walnut chair with curved lines and an elegant purple and patterned slip seat, likely wondering what its historic roots may have been. While some recently discovered evidence may suggest that it could have ties to an emblematic set of chairs made in 18th-century Philadelphia, confirming whether that’s the case is a different story.

Since there are no owners from the 1700s left to speak for the chair and its true origins, historians and historical interpreters have to dig deep — figuratively, but sometimes literally, too — to trace back generations of stories that could be linked to a piece of furniture.

As an interpreter, the possibility of unlocking and sharing any unknown history associated with this chair began with exploring several questions: Can we confirm the chair is from the emblematic set? Can we trace ownership back to the original owner? Can we determine the original use of the set? And from there, what historic people and events might have been associated with the chair?

Comparing and confirming several specific characteristics of the chair at The Old State House has fueled further investigation, including a review of generations of records in search of evidence of earlier ownership.

Based on construction and style attributes that are considered emblematic of the Queen Anne form produced in Philadelphia in the mid-18th century, some historians have suspected that this particular chair on display at The Old State House may be one of a small set of special chairs likely owned by one or more prominent families of the time. That suspicion has not yet been confirmed.

While the curatorial staff at the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) is still investigating whether a true design link exists, the chair does share some physical characteristics with another that was recently listed by Christie’s Auction House in its January 2025 catalog as the seventh member of an eight-chair set:

“A masterful expression of curvilinear design, this armchair is a newly discovered seventh example from one of the most famed and intriguing sets of seating from mid-eighteenth-century Philadelphia, the only American set of armchairs known in the Queen Anne style. The chairs are noticeably taller than the norm, about three inches greater in height than similar forms, further suggesting that the set was specially commissioned for a specific but as of yet, unknown purpose. The quantity and quality of these chairs would have made them a costly investment and the set was no doubt used in a space that hosted small gatherings among some of Philadelphia’s more prosperous citizens. At the same time, as each chair was equally grand in stature, the set would have promoted a harmonious setting free of hierarchical distinctions.”

In the 18th century, it was common for chair makers to number the chairs in a set on both the chair rail and the seat frame. This would allow easy matching of the custom-fit slip seat with the corresponding chair. Of the seven previously identified chairs, only five numbers are known: II, III, IIII, V and VIII.

Determining whether this chair is, in fact, one of those eight chairs will require decorative arts specialists examining the chair, researching the original maker of the chair, learning more about how the Delaware family came to own The Old State House chair, researching the confirmed chairs that have gone to auction and more technical work that will connect all of the varying pieces of historical information.

Identifying who owned the chair in the 18th century could provide invaluable information for determining the original use of the chair.

As for the chair still housed at The Old State House, a history of private ownership within a single Delaware family traces back to the mid-19th century. However, the chair’s earlier ownership history remains unclear. 

In 1966, the chair was donated to HCA (then known as the Delaware State Museum). The accession record offers historians a good starting place to piece together the chair’s earlier ownership history.

“A lot of pieces of furniture in particular that are in our historic sites do not have Delaware connections. They were bought from antique stores to match the period of interpretation and as needed to furnish the sites,” said Kira Lyle, HCA’s collections manager. “Learning that this chair does have Delaware history, unlike most of the others, allows us the chance to interpret more Delaware-specific stories.”

Check back in future newsletters as HCA continues its research to determine if this is chair is part of this special eight-chair set.