Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
September 27, 1983
By Susie Dewey
Vigo County Historical Society
Victorian woman was wood carver
The bench in the Victorian nursery of the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley intrigues all who see it and present a new dimension of a Victorian lady.
Built and carved by Mary Penine Kent, who lived at 305 Park St., Terre Haute, the bench is a testimony to her talents. The Victorian lady is usually pictured as a wasp-waisted woman sitting in over-heated parlor, stitching a fine seam between swoons and vapors.
Mary Kent, ancestor of one of Vigo County’s famous families, could sew and embroider intricate designs. The museum has a quilt made by Kent which is shown above and behind the bench. The crazy quilt contains a variety of embroidery stitches.
The bench, however, is evidence that Mary Kent’s creativity was not limited to needlework.
In addition to rearing four daughters, Mary Kent painted china, practiced taxidermy, constructed cabinets, made quilts and carved wood. She also rode a horse to the Wabash River bank and shot her own game which she prepared, stuffed and mounted. The china she painted was bequeathed to St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. Her grandson, John Lamb, collected 30 of the approximately 50 pieces of black walnut and cherry furniture she built and carved by hand.
She became interested in wood carving as an art form during a visit to the Black Forest in Germany in 1880. She purchased a set of 200 small tools especially made for delicate wood carving. She was 40 years old at the time.
After returning to the United States, she went to Cincinnati for instruction from a wood carver and cabinet maker who had emigrated from Germany. She designed, constructed, and carved chairs, tables, chests, plaques, frames, trinket boxes, a china cabinet and a dressing table.
The bench in the nursery at the museum has three carved panels on the back and carved panels on the exterior of both arms. It contains a storage compartment beneath the seat where needlework, books or even toys could be hidden. The bench is so well designed that the compartment is a surprise. The front of the seat and the back of the bench are ornamented with grooves and beading.
Mrs. Kent died in 1932. She was 93. She appeals to the women of the 1980’s for her diversified and uncommon skills as well as her craftsmanship.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 t 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.