January 3, 2022

Happy New Year! This month’s featured product is the sugar chest shown below. It’s made of poplar that has been painted to look like pine. Sugar chests—also called sugar stands or sugar boxes—have long been made in Virginia, with the earliest reference found in an estate inventory in the Tidewater region from 1686. The 1756 ledger of the Partridge Store, which served planters in Hancock and Louisa counties, notes that one of the 28 purchases made by William Hendrick that year was “a sugar chest and lock.” Early sugar chests were very similar in construction to blanket chests, though usually on a stand and somewhat larger. They often had a divided interior to store white sugar, brown sugar, and possibly coffee. Early processed sugar came in cones that were practical for shipping large quantities; however, the cones needed to be broken into pieces for household use, which required tools such as miniature hatchets, small cleavers, or tong-like nippers. Cabinetmakers continued to build sugar chests until the 1840’s, with the earlier chests being smaller with tapered legs and the later chests being larger with thickly turned legs. As sugar became less expensive, the need for—and prestige associated with—sugar chests was reduced. Now, it would be a unique conversation piece that also provides storage, though likely NOT for sugar . . .

 

 

Now that it’s winter, we’re transitioning to our winter hours, which means closing at 5 p.m. on Saturdays. However, we’ll be closed January 7-10 to attend a funeral out of state. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Bob & Lynne McCann