Work stand
Attributed to Orren N. Haskins (1815-1892)
Mount Lebanon, New York, circa 1874
Walnut, cherry, white pine and poplar, original stained finish, original turned cherry knobs on lower case, replaced knobs on upper drawers, 42 ½ x 32 ½ x 22 ¾ inches

Writing of this sewing table in The Encyclopedia of Shaker Furniture, p. 178, authors Timothy Rieman and Jean M. Burks observed: “Although identical in form to the sewing tables with galleries added at a later date, the two sections of this desk were made at one time, judging from the construction. The top is tenoned into the bottom and is not removable. The fact that the base and gallery were made together raises the question whether this sewing desk established the “gallery-over-table” form associated with Mount Lebanon design, or if it was built after the style had evolved. Its similarity in design and construction to signed and dated work tables in the collection of Hancock Shaker Village, lends strong support to an attribution to Brother Orren. The unlipped drawers fit flush in the frame, a feature associated with Haskins’s work. The drawer faces are made of figured cherry, although the aging of the finish has hidden this lively pattern. The fine overall design is about as simple and light as it could be with tapered legs terminating at about five eighths of an inch at the floor.”

A name change was prompted at the Shaker Society in New Lebanon, New York, in the fall of 1861, when a post office was opened at the site and the community became officially known as Mount Lebanon. We thank Jerry Grant of the Shaker Museum and Library for confirming this information.