Description
A turned souvenir candlestick made of relic wood in 1927. It is made from longleaf pine salvaged from the renovation of the White House during the Coolidge administration. The candlestick has a simple incurved cup above a disc, raised on a trumpet form central standard and ending with a round base. It has the pronounced wide grain and golden tone associated with longleaf pine. The base apparently was turned from a separate piece, though the entire candlestick is made of White House relic wood.
The White House was built between 1792 and 1800, and was expanded in 1801 during the Jefferson administration. It suffered considerable damage during the War of 1812 when the British army set it on fire, but was repaired and expanded afterward. By the early 20th century, the need for additional space resulted in two major renovations: one under Theodore Roosevelt in 1901-02, and one under Coolidge in 1927. The White House was extensively renovated again under the Truman administration, from 1948 to 1950.
White House relic wood souvenir and presentation objects — most commonly pine gavels — were made from materials salvaged during the Coolidge and Truman era renovations. There are numerous extant pine gavels from the Coolidge era with a metal band inscribed as follows: “‘Certified by Centuries’/ Northern White Pine after 112 Years Service/ The White House Roof 1815 to 1927/ National Lumber Manufacturers Association.” A different manufacturer, Lank Woodwork Company, Inc., is also known to have produced a souvenir gavel from this era.
The National Lumber Manufacturer’s Association also produced turned relic wood candlesticks, such as the offered example, though they are considerably rarer than the gavels. This example retains its original printed circular paper label pasted underneath the base, certifying as follows:
MADE FROM TIMBER REMOVED FROM THE WHITE HOUSE AFTER 112 YEARS OF SERVICE — For 112 Years During the Residence of 26 Presidents of the United States the Wood from which this Candlestick was made (Longleaf Pine) Supported the Roof of the Executive Mansion. It was Originally Built into the Mansion [during] the Residence of President James Madison in 1815. It was Removed at the time of Remodeling the White House in 1927, and was Found to be in Perfect Condition. — National Lumber Manufacturers Association.
Condition: Very good overall with the usual light wear, minor indentations and abrasions. Label underneath in very good condition, with minor chipping, abrasions, losses.
References:
McCullough, David. Truman. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992. pp. 1047-1058. Online at Google Books: http://books.google.com/books?id=8fp1A2s6aQwC&pg=PA1044&dq (14 June 2010).
Palmatier, L. E-mail correspondence to George Glazer. 31 January 2010.
“White House History.” The White House. http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/history (14 June 2010).
