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18th Century American Furniture Styles

© Barbara Nicholson Bell

"During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the cabinetmaker's art in America flourished at an extraordinary height of excellence, creating a great national heritage which is now referred to as traditional American furniture.

Although cabinetmaker's pattern books and furniture imported from England were the primary source of inspiration for American craftsmen, their furniture was not a slavish copy of English designs. Instead, new interpretations of established decorative details and unique structural forms were developed, perhaps as expressions of American individualism and determination for independence."

This excellent introduction to an overview of 18th century American furniture is by Francis E. Gift, and may be read in its entirety at Guideposts to Traditional American Furniture. He discusses and describes in his Glossary the furniture of both Colonial and Federal periods, covering four distinctive styles which were inspired and evolved from English design: Queen Anne, Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton.

Generally, Colonial refers to what was made prior to the Declaration of Independence, including Queen Anne/Georgian and early Chippendale. Federal refers to the period from the Revolution to the end of the Federal political party in the 1820s and represents late Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton styles.

The styles of the 18th Century followed one another very rapidly, each one an advancement on the previous style. The designs were a reflection of the changing world at the time and was considered more as an art than a craft. Styles were named after the English monarchs of the time or the designers and cabinetmakers that inspired the style or design. (See Ashley Furniture for examples.) Queen Anne was initially the most original and innovative departure from previous styles, followed by Chippendale (the first style named for its designer, not the reigning monarch), Hepplewhite and Sheraton. Nichole Garrera's site at the College of New Jersey illustrates the styles beautifully: Chair Styles of the 18th Century.

The centers for the finest American craftsmanship were Salem, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, the Tidewater area of the mid-American states, and smaller areas of New England, such as New Hampshire and Maine. Each geographic area seemed spontaneously to develop unique variations upon the originals, which can be identified today not only by locale but by individual artisan. Not coincidentally, these locales were prosperous hubs of shipping and populated by a growing wealthy middle class. By 1780, more than 50% of imported household furnishings came from England. Imports from Europe and England, however, could not keep up with demand, and American craftsmanship flourished during this period.