An 18th Century Tea Table by Cynthia Howerter

During the 18th century, affluent American colonists continued the British custom of having a sumptuous tea in the afternoon.  Thus, the use of tea tables became a popular means of presentation for this repast.   Because tea, tea tables, and a fancy tea service were expensive, it was a sign of one's prestige to own such items.          

The first time I visited Keck Jackson’s Eighteenth Century Shop in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, I felt like I’d walked into the American Colonial period.  Not only was the shop’s extraordinary furniture, all handmade by Mr. Jackson, a feast for my eyes, but the beeswax polish that Mr. Jackson uses on each piece produces an exquisite scent.

Entering one of the shop’s rooms, I spotted a gorgeous tea table.  Mr. Jackson noticed me lingering in front of the table – actually, I was drooling – and handed me a photograph of the original table that served as the “pattern” for the reproduction.  As I compared the photo of the original with the piece that Mr. Jackson had painstakingly made by hand, he told me the history.

The original tea table had been made in the last quarter of the 1700s for a wealthy client in the Philadelphia area.  Although furniture made from mahogany was much sought after in the American Colonies at that time, the original tea table was made from walnut because that wood was more available.  Additionally, because the grains of walnut and mahogany are so similar, colonists were happy to purchase pieces made from walnut.

The reproduction tea table contains a rare piece of walnut - the table top is a single 17-inch wide board.  Because it's difficult to find walnut boards of that width, the original table top was composed of two boards. 

This particular table top is called a "tray top" because of the raised molding that frames the table's surface the same way a frame surrounds a picture.

In the photo below as well as in the article's first photograph, note that the table’s skirt contains handsome scallops while cabriole legs with pad feet support the table.  The photo below also provides a side view of the raised molding that frames the table's top.

 Mr. Jackson explained that in Colonial times, the tea table was a serving piece upon which a fine tea service would be placed along with whatever foods were being served.  When not in use, tea tables were placed on the side of a room or in a hall until it was time to serve tea.  At the appropriate time in the afternoon, the tea table was moved to a prominent part of a room. 

Tea tables were found in the homes of the affluent and used in more formal settings.  Less affluent colonists would not have been able to purchase such finely crafted tables. 

Mr. Jackson has been crafting authentic copies of 18^th century furniture since 1980.  Each piece is handmade using a full assortment of furniture making tools from the 1700s, including 80 antique molding planes.  Mr. Jackson uses the same materials in his reproduction furniture that were used in the originals.  Each piece of his furniture is historically accurate and requires many hours of work before it’s completed, but as you can see from the photographs, the wait is well worth it.




All photographs ©2014 Cynthia Howerter

Award-winning author Cynthia Howerter loves using her training in education, research, writing, and speaking to teach and inspire others about a time in America that was anything but boring. A member of the Daughters of the American revolution (DAR), Cynthia believes history should be alive and personal.

Visit Cynthia's website: Cynthia Howerter - all things historical