Jacob Haish furniture exhibit at Ellwood House

The Haish mansion, in DeKalb, housed the furniture that is now in the Ellwood House exhibit. The mansion was demolished in 1961. It has been said that efforts to save historical buildings, like the Ellwood House, were heightened after the Haish house was razed. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The Ellwood House Museum in DeKalb, Ill. is currently home to a variety of furniture that was part of Jacob Haish's home. I recently visited while the exhibit was being reconstructed and rearranged. 

Many of the items in the Haish mansion were sold during an auction on the lawn of the Haish mansion after Jacob's death. Donna Gable, museum director of visitor services, said Paul Nehring purchased quite a bit of the furniture and his wife, Shirley Hamilton Nehring, used it in their home, the Ellwood-Nehring house, which is located on the museum grounds. 

After the home was donated to the Ellwood House Museum in 2011, the furniture was sold to the Ellwood House Museum so it could be viewed by visitors to the museum. Gable said the Glidden House had also considered purchasing and displaying the furniture, but the Ellwood House had more physical room to host the items.

Interior pieces of the home, which were provided for the exhibit by local historian Steve Bigolin. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Gable said the furniture is interesting because it was used in the Nehring home just like anyone else would use furniture, but once the items were placed in the museum, they instantly became "artifacts."

Photos of items in the exhibit are below.

Rocking chair and settee, circa 1880s | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Occasional table, circa 1880 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Dining room table, circa 1885 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

This table has a total of 12 leaves. If fully extended it would be fourteen feet long.

Details of the dining room table. | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Wenzel Friedrich horn chairs, of San Antonio, Texas, circa 1890 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

These chairs were considered "top of the line" of Friedrich's production, and they may have originally been upholstered in jaguar hide. Each chair is made from 22 polished horns from Texas longhorn cattle, with a seat rail of horn and set with a Texas star in the center.

Close-up of chair legs | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The legs of the chair are set with brass-and-glass ball feet made by Tiffany & Co.

Close-up of chair | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Close-up of chair | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Self-propelling wheelchair attributed to Jacob Haish, circa 1900 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

This wheelchair, attributed to Haish, features a chair mounted on a platform with rubber wheels and a spoked wheel. The rear wheels are hand-operated by a crank and chain mechanism.The chair is steered by a hand-tiller. There is also a handle at the back of the chair so that it can be pushed.

Self-propelling wheelchair attributed to Jacob Haish, circa 1900 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Occasional table attributed to Jacob Haish, circa 1901 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

The table features stars, circles, horses, cats, dogs, birds and foxes. Haish, who created this piece, had worked as a carpenter, so he was very familiar with woodworking.

Close-up of occasional table attributed to Jacob Haish, circa 1901 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

Andrews' Patent Parlor folding bed, circa 1880 | Photo by Jessi LaRue

This piece was designed to look like a cabinet but opened up to become a folding bed.

Special thanks to the Ellwood House Museum for allowing me to document and share this exhibit.