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Queen Anne Dressing Table
Wethersfield, Connecticut, 1750–1760
Cherrywood; original brass hardware
H. 33 1/2", W. (top) 36 1/8"; W. (case) 31 7/8",
D. (top) 21 3/8"; D. (case) 17 3/4"
Provenance: Hurlbut Family
Courtesy of Nathan Liverant and Son Antiques, LLC

This classic Wethersfield, Connecticut, dressing table of elegant form has remained in the Hurlbut family until now. Thomas Hurlbut, born in Scotland in 1610, came in 1635 to Connecticut, where he served as lieutenant under Lion Gardner at Fort Saybrook. Lieutenant Hurlbut was recognized for service and wounds received during the Pequot War of 1637 and was rewarded with a sizable land grant at Wethersfield. Given title to 120 acres of riverside farmland, Lieutenant Hurlbut became a prominent citizen in the growing settlement. The original owner of the dressing table was most likely Amos Hurlbut (1717–1777), the great-grandson of Lieutenant Thomas Hurlbut. Born in Wethersfield, Amos lived his whole life on his father’s farm in the Newington Parish of town. He was married first to Hannah Wright about 1755 and to Sarah Hills in 1757. Later owners of the dressing table were Amos and Sarah’s son, Stephen Hurlbut (1760–1807), who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and Hiram Hurlbut (1863–1922), the owner of Buck’s Tavern in Elmwood.