Texas cabinet makers produced many furniture pieces. This four drawer chest of drawers is a good example. The top of the chest is made from one piece of lumber, probably pine. The chest exhibits very pronounced graining which was a decorative paint technique used to suggest a more expensive material. Other than the graining the chest is very understated.

 The Texas Furniture Craft Before 1880

Before the 1880s, Texas was a society that was both isolated and fragmented. Located on the outer reaches of the Industrial Revolution, Texas lacked railroads, canals, and factories. Due to this isolation, the settled interior was scattered with small communities that were cut off from the coast and from each other. Thus, these communities became of necessity self-sufficient. Two major waves of Texas immigration, mainly from Germany and the American South, brought people of varied backgrounds to the settlements. Therefore, the furniture of early Texas became influenced by these different traditions.

Despite this new and often hostile environment for businesses, Texas cabinetmakers of the 19^th century were able to carve a niche for themselves in the insular market of the region. As compared to their Anglo-American neighbors, the German cabinetmakers in Texas seemed to accept fashionable styles more readily. They would bring popular models from Europe that highly influenced their designs while immigrant cabinetmakers from the Southern states brought few material goods with them so their designs were more utilitarian than stylish.

Early Texas furniture reflected the modest lifestyles of area farmers, artisans, and merchants. Ornate, stylish, and costly-looking furniture, while readily available to middle and working class consumers in the eastern states, was close to unattainable in Texas settlements. Even the wealthy in Texas didn’t have elaborately decorated homes. It simply was too difficult to transport fine furniture. Freights were exorbitant, and fragile objects were often handled carelessly. Thus, Texans of all economic levels were encouraged to buy from local cabinetmakers. While reliance on local craftsmen meant that everyday objects expressed the maker’s individual taste and style, it also meant that the purchaser often got a more beautiful, better-made, and useful piece of furniture.

After 1880, Texas was no longer as isolated. The railroads ended the days of rough wagon transport, and the material culture of these communities changed forever. While industrialization brought prosperity to Texas, it also brought an end to the production of local quality craftsmanship and the uniqueness of Texas furniture design.