Wow, what a rare find! Stunning, antique, dresser and mirror salvaged from Central Connecticut. Except for the drawer linings and slats on the back of the dresser, which are made of old Douglas Fir, the dresser and mirror frame are solid, riftsawn oak. The 3 drawers are equipped with brass pulls, wooden keyhole covers, and working locks-we even have the original key! The beveled glass mirror and the finish of the wood is also original--the piece has never been painted!

This is not your father's dresser, nor your grandfather's dresser, this is your great grandfather's! It was built sometime during the late 1800's. Besides the information that I got from the elderly gentleman who sold it to me, I could tell more about it's age by looking it's construction. Not only is the design, carvings, and appliques reflective of the Victorian era, but even the wood itself is very old. The grain of the oak is super tight, meaning that the wood was cut from old-growth oak trees. The wear and uneven finish shows varying degrees of exposure to sunlight and use over a long period of time, not a few decades. The stamped pulls themselves are antique and are secured with nuts rather than setscrews like modern hardware. The hand-carved, wooden keyholes, and the off-center positioning of the locks show they were installed by humans rather than machines. Nails with square heads are used throughout the piece. The drawers are held together by Knapp joints (pin and cove or half-moon joints), which were primarily used 1870 - 1900. The multiple boards used for the backing of both the dresser and mirror instead of a single sheet of plywood are just a few more obvious signs that this is a turn-of-the-century piece.

The mirror secures to the back of the dresser with 2 slats, and the mirror itself swivels back and forth. The bottom drawers have wooden keyhole covers, but the one for the top drawer is missing.

Considering that the piece is well over 100 years, it is in excellent condition. The dresser has the typical nicks, scrapes, scratches, and spots of worn finish here and there that you would expect to find on a piece this old. However, there are no breaks, rot, warp, or any other serious flaws.

Our carpenter thoroughly inspected the piece and didn't need to make any repairs. He did reinforce the bottoms of the drawers and the top with glue and finish nails, but he didn't need to glue or reinforce any other part of the dresser.

The glass is completely intact and is in great shape with only subtle scratches here and there. The silvering has a few worn spots, but that just adds to the distressed charm of the mirror.

The chest is strong and sturdy and is ready for another lifetime of service!