Southern Classical carved mahogany sideboard Alexandria, VA, circa 1820-30 attributed to William and/or James Green; architectonic split backsplash centering and flanked by finials, central plaque carved with eagle on branch, with spindled side galleries, over rectangular case fitted with drawers over doors, bisected by engaged twist-turned half-columns surmounted with floral-carved panels, on stepped and reeded base, raised on well-turned feet; secondary woods are white pine, yellow pine, poplar and mahogany. (Minor veneer repairs, stabilized cracks across top, otherwise good condition consistent with age; finials replaced) overall H61 1/2" W72 1/2" D22 1/2" *Note: The attribution is based upon a nearly identical example pictured and discussed in the catalog of an exhibition of Green Furniture exhibited in Alexandria in 1986 entitled THE GREEN FAMILY OF CABINETMAKERS: AN ALEXANDRIA INSTITUTION, 1817-1887 by Oscar Fitzgerald. The exhibited sideboard is no longer in private hands - it is part of the permanent collection of the Virginia Historical Society. *Biography: William Green, progenitor of the Green family of cabinetmakers, was born in Sheffield, England about 1774 where he was trained in the art of cabinetmaking. By 1817 he and his wife had emigrated to the United States and settled in Alexandria, Virginia where he set up his cabinet shop on King Street, between Pitt and Royal. Green was an entrepreneur and served as a merchant for cabinetmaker's and artisan's tools as well as lumber; in 1822 he advertised that he provided "an elegant assortment of Fine curled Mahogany, suitable for sideboards or secretary fronts..." as well as a "Variety of CABINET GOODS..." Green's eldest son James apprenticed in the shop and by the time of William's death in 1824 he was sufficiently trained in the business to take over. He appears to have met with great success, his only setback being a disastrous fire that destroyed his entire establishment, both showroom and shop, in 1827. Being a resilient businessman, he re-established himself in the trade the following year and also opened a showroom in the rapidly growing District of Columbia. In 1830 Green advertised that he could produce furniture "made up after the most modern style of northern work" illuminating the fact that he was, like his father had been, well aware of the competitive pressure from urban centers to the north such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and Boston. All of these cities launched numerous ships laden with sundry articles meant for consumption along the eastern seaboard and beyond, and Alexandria and Washington, DC were no exception. The year 1834 marked a period of rapid transition in the way furniture was produced in the Green shop. While expanding his growing business, Green decided to install steam-powered tools for sawing and turning wood. Green also sought to diversify his growing wealth by purchasing speculative real estate, an interest in a coal business and by expanding his lumber business. By 1848 he had amassed enough wealth to purchase the Bank of Alexandria, a testament to his labor and skill as an artisan and as a businessman. In the 1850's James' sons John and Stephen entered the business and were sufficiently successful to re-open it after the Civil War. After James's death in 1880, his son Stephen continued to run the business until 1887 when he was forced to sell it to settle various debts.