Old cabinet

11 years ago

I got this awhile back I kept it on my porch for garden stuff as did the old woman I got it from. It's had many paint jobs. I believe it has also been cut down. I think this may be the top of a hutch ? The other day while getting out gardening tools I decided it would make a good project. I removed a lot of paint with a heat gun. I took off some of the trim to strip and noticed it had never been removed before and was nailed on with square nails? The boards under shelves ect have saw marks. The back is unfinished and wood is rough. The thickness of the tongue and grove board are approx 7/8ths of an in. My questions are does anyone know how old this may be? Is this cut down? Thanks!

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Comments (8)

raetaylor
Original Author
11 years ago
Inside
raetaylor
Original Author
11 years ago
Underside of shelf
raetaylor
Original Author
11 years ago
Under bottom
raetaylor
Original Author
11 years ago
Bottom side
raetaylor
Original Author
11 years ago
Nails from trim
User
11 years ago
Hard to say, because people working with old-style tools can make something just like that today.

I think you have the top half of a home-built hutch or jelly cupboard. It could be interesting and useful when cleaned up.
calliope
11 years ago
So many of those were homemade, like already said, so there weren't any 'rules' to follow. One just made them to suit their needs. I have a couple myself, one with legs like yours and who knows if it's been modified. It's neat and I like it. Certainly rustic and no reason to believe it's not old. I find those square nails all over my house in odd places, but then again it's a very old house.
jemdandy
11 years ago
Those square nails are old, possibly before1900. The cabinet appears to be home built. It would have sat on a cabinet or table who's top was about 30 inches above the floor. Farmers wives referred to these as a "kitchen cabinet". The part you have would have sat about 10 inches above the table surface so that the entire table top was available for use and to elevate the door above the table top, otherwise, the door would sweep the table.

A clue is the door construction. It screams home built. I don't see any plywood. Every piece appears to be solid wood and no veneer

The other possibility is it is simply a utility cabinet and what you see is all that it ever was..