“I’ve always had a keen sense of history. My father was an antiques dealer and he used to bring home boxes full of treasures…each item always had a tale attached.”
―Sara Sheridan
There’s a new table in town…
…and by “town”, I mean, our dining room…and by “new”, I mean, new to me and Kevin…but very old to my family.
My Great-Great-Grandparents bought it when they got married, in the winter of 1900. Great-Great-Grandpa August and Great-Great-Grandma Elizabeth…a.k.a- Lizzie.
After August died, the table (and the six chairs that came with it) moved over to his son Irwin’s house. Connecting the dots: Irwin was August’s eldest son, and my Great-Grandpa.
There he is on the left in the photo above…along with me (rockin’ the paisley-patterned tie!), my mom, my brother, and my mom’s mom- Grandma Beth. (Named after her Grandma Elizabeth, I’m sure.) Irwin died a couple of years after that photo was taken, and his sister, my Great-Aunt Ruth, inherited the table at that time. Ruth passed the table and chairs on to my Mom, and they sat proudly in the dining room in the farmhouse I grew up in until my Mom moved to Florida after I graduated high school.
She passed it on to me last week, and I can’t get over how much I love having it here in our home.
Many a meal and birthday celebration were had around this table…
…and I hold hands with family members I never got to meet every time I pull out one of the original acorn-pressed chairs.
It came with 10 leaves, and extends to 15 feet long. Can you imagine? I love thinking about August and Lizzie shopping for a table that would be big enough to fit everybody. 🙂
I’d love to layer a larger sisal rug underneath that floral-patterned one so we can add another leaf or two, and pull in a couple more chairs on either side. Since the table only came with six chairs, I’m going to mix in some flea market chairs, and go for a mis-matched look. I found this brace-back Windsor a couple of weeks ago…
…and I’ve got a couple of super comfy old captain’s chairs that still need to be reupholstered at some point, too.
I’m excited to attach some more tales to this table, y’all. What a privilege to be able to add my name to the roster of family members that get to look after it for a while. Thanks, Mom, Ruth, Irwin, August and Lizzie. 🙂
How cool is that?! I love family history. I have a few pieces my great Uncle made from scrap wood (he was a carpenter). And as eclectic as they are, I love them.
A beautiful story of hands across the generations wirh this gorgeous table. Lucky you!
The story behind this table is so WONDERFUL. I love having family heirlooms of my own and I know you, your hubby, and your son (Sweet Pea) will enjoy your family dinners together very soon!
Hugs,
Michelle from simplysantabarbara.blogspot.com
It’s beautiful! I love that you know the story of all who passed it on.
That is so cool. What a fun family heirloom.
My grandparents have the same table! The same finish. The chairs are a little different. She always had a nylonish table cloth to protect the wood. Love seeing these pictures! Lots of memories flooded back
What happened to your front door? Did it become a window? Just curious.
Beautiful table, beautiful story. I love hearing the history behind things. Thanks for sharing the story of your “new” table. 🙂
What a blessings for you!! I love owning part of my family’s history like this and you have such a treasure!
awwwwwwww! How sweet! Loving the story and the table…jealous of how long it can extend! Thanks for sharing!
Great story, and great furniture! Do you plan to do any restoration on it? I can highly recommend Howard’s Restor-a-Finish. It retains that beautiful patina.
Oh I love that you can see where someone’s hands were on the top of that chair for years and years. How wonderful that you have been trusted with the table Layla. You can add some beautiful memories of your own family to the stories. Just lovely.
What a precious story and beautiful legacy. This story just brought me to tears. I am glad this is taking it’s place in the family you are starting to build.
What a beauty! How wonderful to have this passed down. Love the acorn pressed chairs. Such sweet details
What a treasure you have. A great way to make new memories and share the old sitting around that table with family and friends.
I love this! I don’t even know my great-great-grandparents names – how lucky you are to have such a wonderful piece of your family history!
Layla, It looks FABULOUS! I knew it would . . . . I love the story too! I’m a sucker for old things with history but when it’s your own families history, well that’s just “a make your heart burst!” Kind of history! Enjoy . . . XOXOXO
It’s gorgeous and the family history only makes it that much more beautiful!
Thank you so much, Jessica! XO
That is beautiful! I use my great-great grandparents table (from 1899) in my dining room as well. I also had the same glasses in the 80’s. 🙂
😀 High five on the glasses, Alisa!
That is so wonderful that you now have the table to pass on to your child. I have my grandparents dining table (and all of its leaves) and remember the family gatherings, especially when I was old enough to sit at the adult table and not at the kitchen table ;0)
Yes! I’m excited to tell Sweet P the story of the table one day, Ruth! And how neat that you have your grandparents table, too! I smiled when I read “the adult table”. We had one of those at my Grandma Evelyn’s house! 😀
What a cool story! How awesome to have that heritage sitting in your dining room.
Thank you, Brittany! And, yes, I am pretty excited to have it sitting smack dab in the heart of our home! XO
PERFECTION!! Love all the patina! I have my grandmothers:)
Oh, I’m so glad you have your grandmother’s table, Miriam! What a gift!
That is so cool that this table and chairs are passed down through the family. I’m a woodworker and have made several furniture pieces, my dream is that they would be passed down. How cool it would be for my great great grandchildren to use a dresser their g,g,grandma made. Unfortunately doesn’t look like I will ever be a grandma, so I’m afraid they’ll end up at Goodwill.
Well, if they do- some lucky family is sure to treasure them for many years, Bobbi. XO
I’d love to see photos of what you’ve made!
Wonderful Layla! Enjoy!!
Thank you, Judy! XO
The table is gorgeous and the acorn design on the chairs is stunning. The patina on the wood could never be recreated. A beautiful family heirloom with wonderful memories. Enjoy. BTW, I have a little 4 year old grandson named August.
You’re so right about the patina, Becky. I love all the little crackles on those legs!
Only one word — PERFECT!!!
I think so too, Linda! XO
wow!!!! what a gift .the history .if tables could talk 🙂 you and “sweet pea” and Kevin will cherish it forever .* love those names by the way August and Lizzy.awesome
If tables could talk….I love that, Mattie! 😀
Layla, what a gorgeous table! I wanted to let you know the ads that are attached the bottom of each image mad it a pain for me to actually see the photos on the page.
Thank you, Julia! 😀
(Re: the ads- you can actually close them out by clicking on the little “x” if you’d like. I changed them so that two would only pop up every 5 minutes- so hopefully that’ll help too. XO)
Love the table and the story. I have a few family pieces with my favorite being an iron bed originally belonging to my great grandparents. I think the finish on the table and the chairs is beautiful. I would use Howards Orange Oil. I have use this for years and it was recommended to me by several antiques dealers. It doesn’t appear to me that the finish needs to be restored.
It is nice to see things passed down through a family. Nowadays many young people do not want “that old stuff.”
I love tables, especially if they have a history. I have a little farm table that my parents passed on to me, they found it in the barn at my paternal grandmothers. She had used it at some point and my Dad thought it had been her mother’s before that. I love having it and knowing that it has been in our family all these years. Someday, I’ll pass it along to my nephew.
And, I want to add, I love your table – it is beautiful. I love that is shows where hands have lovingly touched it. Great for you to have that history.
What a gorgeous table and equally wonderful family history, Layla! Your story makes me appreciate the family pieces we have in our home, all over again! I was just trying to explain to my 6-year old granddaughter last week the concept of “generations “… And that she is the 7th generation to sleep in the twin iron bed that she’d just used for a sleepover at Gramma & Papa’s house! ?.
Wishing you many blessed events around your new table with your growing family!!!
Such an precious and sentimental piece you get to add to your home and it fits in perfectly! I can’t wait to see what you add to it as it already looks great 🙂
Oh how I love old things that feel new 🙂
Lauren Baxter | LB Designs
xx
What a legacy that table has! You too have some “possessions” that we really don’t “own” we just get to be their caretakers for awhile! It’s a beautiful table!
That is a beautiful table. So glad it was passed down to you. I’m sure many more great memories will be made at that table.
That table is YUMMMY, you must feel pretty special to have it…swoooon ?
You are so adorable! How special to know that you ancestors sat at that table. What a gift! How lovely it’s going to be when you three sit around it with Sweet Pea, and then hopefully pass it down the generations! So excited for you ALL. <3
I have a buffet, think that’s what is called that looks like it would match perfectly. The table is amazing.
the line about “hold hands with family members I never got to meet” made me a bit weepy. love that you appreciate history and family!
xo
So beautiful and what a wonderful treasure to keep in your family. Cheers to many new memories to be made at your table.
The pieces are beautiful! I love the heritage and memories of things passed down. They always stir my heart with thoughts of the people and stories associated with them! I know you will cherish them–the memories they hold and those still waiting to be made!
I think I am in love with this table! My mom and dad have a table and hutch that I hope to get passed to me…they have so much character to them and I excited to start our own memories around them…Thanks for sharing!
Awww. It’s beautiful 🙂
This is a great table that comes with such wonderful history. The patina is so nice and I like the mix of chairs. I am doing the same thing, finding matched chairs for a table I was given. I like the look. It is not so matchy matchy, a nice break from all the years of suites of furniture .
I have almost the same exact table! Ours doesn’t have family history but we did get it when we got married. I love how big it can get to accommodate the whole family. I like seeing that you left yours natural as mine is too but I’ve often contemplated adding a new finish. Thanks for posting!
Love your table! We have my husband’s grandfather’s table that is very similar. It also extends out 15-20 feet – my father-in-law used to roller skate on it as a kid! My family has a dresser that has been passed to the oldest male in each generation.
I hit enter too soon! We wrote on the back of the dresser the names of all who had ‘owned’ it through the years. We wanted everyone in the future to know. You might want to do that with your table so that ‘Sweet Pea’s’ descendants will know who all has enjoyed it in the past.
New reader here! LOVE all that chippy goodness on the chairs! That is my kind of table!
Is the floral rug under the table available for sale anywhere – I love the muted tones. Thank you!
Hello, Rose! I got it at Pottery Barn a few years back. XO
Thank you for replying – I will keep my eyes open at the outlet for Pottery Barn – maybe I can still find one 🙂