Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - November 24, 1985
By David M. Buchanan
Vigo County Historical Society

Pretend tea parties
Sideboards play sites for little girls

A small mahogany sideboard now sits under the lace-covered window in the nursery in the Historical Museum 0f the Wabash Valley. It is no longer used but helps museum visitors recall tea parties and porcelain cups used by generations of small girls and their china dolls.

Children's toys have long reflected the activities of the adults in their lives. Toys often were used as a subtle way of preparing a child for the day -to-day routines of their future. A young girl serving form her sideboard would be learning roles that would be expected of her late in life at the same time she was enjoying her playtime.

The small sideboard was given to the museum by the estate of Margaret Gillum. It was made in Philadelphia by a German cabinetmaker and originally was owned by a Mrs. Paddock (born in 1839) who was a friend of the Gilbert family. The sideboard probably dates from the 1850s and reflects the Greek revival elements that were popular before the Civil War.

Made of mahogany, the sideboard is so well constructed that even after 100 years of children's parties, all seams are tight with no loose doors or sprung drawers.

There are three drawers located directly under the serving area on top of the sideboard. These drawers have glass handles and appear to be held by four Greek ionic columns. Between each column are three doors with working locks.

In an actual sideboard , the table's silver serving pieces and flatware would have been locked away in these cupboards. The young ladies serving their pretend tea probably locked up their fine imaginary flatware in the same manner.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.