Bench - Bench

Gothic revival bench having a back design with two sweeping curves that terminate in a tri-partite element that recalls a gothic crockett. This is accomplished using a back board that conforms to the curving edges, an applied second strip that also conforms to the curving edges but is positioned slightly inward creating a decorative border, and a final central stile that forms the top petal or leaf of the crockett element. The upper section of the backboard was deeply scored in regular intervals. The reason for this detail has not yet been determined. The center stile continues approximately half-way down the back until it is visually continued by a structural stile. The back is divided into four segments by panel construction. The upper two, whose top edge is defined by the sweeping arch, have applied blind tracery over a recessed panel. The lower two sections project with chamfered edges and are nailed to the backing board. The arms of the bench begin just under a saw-cut half-circle that is integral to the back. The upper terminal of the arm replicates this shape, sweeping steeply down before terminating in a flat curved form. The seat is a single board screwed onto the case which features two doors on each side, the front most having two folding sections. A board is inserted about half way into the compartment, separating each side. The doors have no lock but a sliding iron closure. The underside of the seat shows graphite guidelines for the construction of the lower case. The top board of the back of the lower case has clear circular saw kerfs. Outer surfaces of bench are presently coated with a thick black stain, but may have originally been stained a lighter brown tone.