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Message:: [QUOTE="Ghopper1924, post: 3817712, member: 5170"]This is an Eastlake chair ca. 1890. Without a tag or stamp it's impossible to tell who made it, as there were dozens if not hundreds of furniture manufacturers across the country at that time, and very few of them labeled their work. You're right, the painting is not original to the chair. I'd say this is a walnut side chair from the 1890s, so you are correct: It has in fact been passed down through the generations. It was probably part of a parlor set that would have included a sofa, arm chairs, and other side chairs. The holes you mentioned may just be from past reupholstering projects and are probably nothing to worry about. The holes at the bottom of the two front feet would have had castors originally. Although I've seen a few signs that the Brown Furniture Depression may be just starting to lift, the bad news is that it hasn't yet, and with the alterations your chair has endured it doesn't have much value; in my part of the U.S. definitely less than $50.00 at auction. Since this is a family piece, then perhaps you would like to restore it without worrying about the cost/value relationship? If so, you'll need to strip the paint and restore the walnut finish, reupholster the chair (looks like it needs it anyway) with something more period-appropriate, and re-install the wheels under the front feet. Money and time are involved, of course, but the result could be most satisfying.[/QUOTE]