HISTORY OF CEDAR CHESTS
Some call them
cedar
chest, others refer to them as
Cedar
hope chests. One thing for sure is, they have
been around for what seems to be forever.
A trunk like chest, made out of
cedar wood, used for protection and storage of
woolen blankets or clothing.
Women about to be married are
often presented with a cedar chest, in this case
called a cedar hope chest. The bride to be fills it
with items she will use in setting up her home.
Egyptians were noted for using
cedar
chests to keep their treasures as in jewelry or
gold pieces safe. Also important paper documents
were often found in cedar chests. It is known that
paper keeps in cedar chests for thousands of years!
In the time of the Renaissance,
cedar chests were more often made from a one piece
carving. This practice was then changed to the use
of panels. Some cedar chests have drawers as well,
providing ample storage.
Years ago most families had one
piece of luggage for the entire family, this was
most often the cedar chest. One would find that
mostly wealthy people used cedar chests as their
luggage. Most cedar chests were made in New England.
Sometimes made from various woods such as cherry,
walnut or mahogany. A cedar lining was always added
to the inside of the chests to protect the contents.
Reason being, cedar is known to repel not only
insects but fungus as well.
In the days of no closets in
homes, cedar chests provided home owners with a
convenient method of storage. Due to the fact that
chairs were expensive and most couldn’t afford
having many, cedar chests would take on double duty.
Storage and used as benches as well. Seasonal
storage with woolen blankets, and clothing was the
main purpose of the cedar chest. Once the families
were established in their homes, the cedar chest
would often be used as a place for valuables, such
as documents, jewelry or items to be passed on to
other generations. Most cedar chests were made with
a lock for security.
As people moved from the East to
the West, a major concern was to be able to travel
light. The trip was known to be long and very
dangerous. Families would put all they had in a
single cedar chest and make their way across the
United States, seeking better opportunities for not
only themselves but their families as well.
Most of the time, every single
thing they owned, was contained in the cedar chest.
Thus the rich history of the cedar chest.
Some are lucky to own a cedar
chest with a rich history. Full of nicks and
scratches that if able to talk, would tell a story
of change, of travel, of prized possessions, and
hope for change. Today most use the old handed down
cedar chests as storage for woolens same as our
ancestors, or for storage of pictures, trinkets or
passed on valuables.
What is for certain, is that the
owner of these passed on cedar chests, have warm
stories that will as well, be passed on to others,
and remembered. A cedar chest is not only a piece of
history, a family heirloom, but a part of a families
past that can not be replaced.
Cedar
Chest
