|
|
 |
|
An interesting example of fancy furniture at Westville is the petticoat mirror in the Moye House. A mirror is mounted below the table just above the floor so that women could see whether their petticoats were showing. Since the majority of people were not wealthy, most furniture was plain pine. But it was often painted to resemble fancy furniture, mimicking the darker and more expensive woods. This was called "false graining" or "false wood." You'll see authentic examples of this furniture throughout the town. Stroll into the bedrooms of our homes and you'll always find a wash stand with pitcher and bowl. This was the equivalent of our bathroom sink. Since baths were not a daily affair, people usually sponge-bathed at the wash stand. Chamber pots served as indoor toilets and were often found under the bed. Speaking of beds, mattresses were usually stuffed with straw and suspended from the beds by ropes. Sometimes the mattresses would sag, so wooden wrenches called "bed-keys" were used to tighten the ropes and firm up the bed. This is the origin of the phrase "sleep tight." A small trundle bed beneath the parents' bed was for children.
Home
| Calendar | Education
| Events | Membership
|
|
If
you were wealthy, your furniture was "fancy" and probably made in Savannah
or Augusta. Fancy furniture was fine and elaborate. Often the basic wood
was pine with a thin mahogany veneer glued to exposed surfaces such as
table tops and drawer fronts. 
