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William and Washington Tuck and Annapolis Cabinetmaking, 1795-1838

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William and Washington Tuck and Annapolis Cabinetmaking, 1795-1838 ABSTRACT Title of Thesis: ‘HAVE HONESTLY AND FAIRLY LABOURED FOR MONEY’: WILLIAM AND WASHINGTON TUCK AND ANNAPOLIS CABINETMAKING, 1795-1838. Alexander J. Lourie, Master of Arts, 2004 Thesis directed by: Professor Nancy L. Struna Department of American Studies The careers of William and Washington Tuck coincided with a significant transition of Annapolis furniture-making, and changes in the political and economic hierarchies in the post-revolutionary market economy of Maryland. Both brothers learned their trade under the tutelage of John Shaw at a time when the center of Maryland’s cabinetmaking shifted to Baltimore. Politically, republican ideas of democracy and representation began to take hold, and slowly found a place in Annapolis, a town characterized by its adherence to an older system of patronage and backroom negotiations. The Tucks’ entrepreneurial talents and social, political, and artisanal connections facilitated their access to the State House, Annapolis’ most important source of commerce and employment. This study adds two new players to the scholarly understanding of Annapolis cabinetmaking, a story heretofore dominated by John Shaw, and shows how two artisans in Maryland’s capital pursued their trade and maintained their competency in early national Annapolis. ‘HAVE HONESTLY AND FAIRLY LABOURED FOR MONEY’: WILLIAM AND WASHINGTON TUCK AND ANNAPOLIS CABINETMAKING, 1795-1838 by Alexander J. Lourie Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2004 Advisory Committee: Professor Nancy L. Struna, Chair Professor Mark P. Leone Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse ©Copyright by Alexander J. Lourie 2004 Acknowledgements The completion of my study of the Tucks would not have been possible without the assistance, advice, and support that I received from numerous colleagues, museum and decorative arts professionals, private citizens, friends and family. The final version of my thesis is due in great part to the efforts of my thesis committee, whose pointed questions played a significant role in the evolution of my thesis. I must first thank my advisor, Professor Nancy L. Struna, whose substantive comments, topical and editorial advice, and mentoring greatly improved my thesis. I am indebted to Maryland State Archivist Dr. Edward C. Papenfuse for his vision for the initial development of my thesis and for his unparalleled knowledge of Maryland and Annapolis history. I would be remiss if I did not also acknowledge the contributions from Professor Mark P. Leone, whose questions and continual reminders to consider the larger forces that influenced the world of the Tucks enhanced my work. I have been fortunate to have benefited from the invaluable assistance rendered by a number of furniture and decorative arts scholars, curators, and private collectors who provided me with access to furniture and collection information and responded to my numerous queries. I want to recognize the assistance tendered by William Voss Elder III and Catherine Thomas at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Gerald W.R. Ward at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, William Allman and Melissa Naulin at the White House, and Heather Foster-Shelton at the Hammond Harwood House. I would also like to recognize the contributions provided by furniture and decorative arts scholars, including Sumpter T. Priddy, Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley, ii Gregory Weidman, Stiles T. Colwill and Heather Ersts. Special thanks must also be given to Dr. Barbara G. Carson, Colin Cochrane, Richard Meyer III, Claire Jones, Mathew Thurlow, and several private collectors. I have also benefited from the help that I received from librarians and independent scholars. I would like to thank Martha Rowe and Katie Schlee from the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Jennie Levine at the Maryland Room at the University of Maryland, and Thomas Repenning and Jan Carey from the library at the College of Southern Maryland. I am especially thankful for the assistance that I received from Jane McWilliams and Dr. Jean B. Russo for graciously sharing their research files and knowledge of the inner-workings of the history of Annapolis with me. I would also like to recognize the aid I received from Orlando Ridout V and Marcia Miller of the Maryland Historical Trust. I cannot possibly overlook the advice, expertise and encouragement that I received from all of my colleagues at the Maryland State Archives. In particular, I would like to thank Mimi Calver, Elaine Rice Bachmann, Jennifer Hafner, Christine Alvey, Dr. R.J. Rockefeller, Greg Lepore, Robert Barnes, and Ryan Polk, as well as the members of the State House research team who never failed to point out documents of potential interest. Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to those closest to me for their unwavering support, encouragement, and assistance. To Faith Darling, Benjamin, Christine, Owen and Nate Lourie, I cannot thank you enough for all of your contributions at each stage of this process, for your interest in my studies, and for helping me to keep everything in perspective. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.............................................................................................ii LIST OF FIGURES.......................................................................................................v INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1: “A young Man, just entering into Business in his Native Place”.........14 CHAPTER 2: “To be taught the Trade of Cabinet Maker and Joiner”.......................49 CHAPTER 3: “A name and no advantage”.................................................................89 CHAPTER 4: “To Super-intend the necessary repairs”............................................134 CHAPTER 5: “I think I never saw a man more devoted to his family and friends”.182 FURNITURE CATALOGUE....................................................................................192 APPENDIX A: Bill for the House of Delegates Renovations, 1807-1808................215 SOURCES.................................................................................................................217 iv LIST OF FIGURES 1. The Maryland State House, attributed to Charles Willson Peale, 1789..................54 2. “The Ground Plan of the State-House at Annapolis,” from the Columbian Magazine, February, 1789.........................................................................................103 3. Conjectural drawing of the House of Delegates Chamber in 1807......................117 4. Floor plan of the United States House of Representatives, 1823.........................118 5. The Maryland State House, by G. W. Smith, c. 1810...........................................136 6. Photograph of Washington Tuck’s House on State Circle, late nineteenth century........................................................................................................................146 7. Simon J. Martenet, Martenet’s Map of Anne Arundel County, 1860...................183 v Introduction “Washington G. Tuck, Esq., an old and respected citizen of Annapolis, and formerly State Armorer, died last week.”1 On July 4, 1859, only the most astute readers of Maryland’s largest newspaper, The Sun would have seen this two-line death notice at the very bottom of page two. Lead stories on the front page which documented a recent tightrope crossing of Niagara Falls, news from Europe, and local affairs would have attracted the attention of most readers on the eighty-third anniversary of the nation’s independence. Eight other obituaries appeared in the paper that day, five of which noted the deaths of children. But this death notice, located under the editorials and buried amidst advertisements for ships and artisans, would not have generated too much attention. Who was this “old and respected citizen of Annapolis?” Clearly he had been important enough at one time to merit a death notice in The Sun that had a small hand ) printed in the margin of the paper to indicate this was a story of note. In reality, however, the seventeen-word announcement, published more than a week after the man’s death, was little more than a footnote to the biggest story of the day: the nation’s birthday. How could this “respected” man have disappeared into such anonymity that one of the two newspapers in his hometown, the Annapolis Gazette, did not even mention his death? It seems plausible that Tuck, formerly involved in state government, really was nothing more than a footnote to more important events, trades, and individuals in Maryland. For nearly one hundred and fifty years with little 1 The Sun (Baltimore), 4 July 1859. 1 published scholarship on nineteenth-century Annapolis to counter it, this view of Washington G. Tuck has remained surprisingly intact. Unbeknownst to many of the readers of the Baltimore Sun on Monday the fourth, Washington G. Tuck was not simply a former State Armorer in charge of maintaining, distributing, and repairing the State’s weaponry. Instead, Tuck, a member of the capital city’s cabinetmaking fraternity for nearly forty years and longtime superintendent of the State House, had been actively involved in the socio- political and artisanal circles of Annapolis. More surprisingly, little has been written about Washington (b. 1781), his older brother William (c.1774-1813), or their careers in Annapolis during the early national
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