Featured Need some help designing early 1800s room

Hi everyone!

I am restoring a historical Harmonist home that was built in 1807. I would like to recreate a room that would look like it was from the early 1800s. Harmony was settled by German settlers around 1804 in Harmony PA. Does anyone have any insight? Could someone post pictures of furniture styles of that era or even full rooms? Harmony at the time would be somewhat frontier land at that point, but it did have access to Pittsburgh. A lot of the items in town such as the buildings, etc were made with raw material sourced locally. Any help that you could provide is really appreciated. Here's a picture of the room:



Thanks,

Sam

 

Sorry, Not a clue! Never even heard of Harmonists until just now.

 

I would be very interested to see what people come up with. Harmony is such a small quaint little town. I have been through the town while traveling on work related jobs but never stopped there. My niece's name is Harmony and I did go through the town to see what it looked like. Figured she would want to go there. They do have a museum. Their German festival is supposed to be awesome.

 

Harmony PA is about an hour from where I was born and raised, but from a different swath of settlement in the mid 19th Century. Most places have a historic society. They will have photos. I wish you luck in your search.

 

Have you inquired at the museum? Seems to me that would be your best source of assistance.

 

The date, 1807 was at the height of the Federal period in America, and the dominant furniture syles were Sheraton & Hepplewhite, English designs which we adapted to American taste.
I don't think most religious sects followed popular culture or fashions of the day so I doubt Harmonists did either.
I do see 2- Sheraton "Cannonball" beds in photos INH posted so maybe they did?

 

Harmony Museum – Western Pennsylvania's First National Historic Landmark District

 

@Sam1994 Just an observation. The window ledges in your room appear to be much lower than those of the museum. Is your room on the ground floor?
@KikoBlueEyes can you recall window ledge heights from your old town?

 

Lovely. Your home is 50 years older than mine but the decor would be different from midwest.

 

Brian, wish I could help but that was many moons ago. My home town blossomed in 1860 as part of the oil boom after the first oil well was drilled in nearby Titusville. Different era and different folks.

 

What a great thread already. i'm excited to be a spectator on this one.

 

Ditto what Neal said.