no idea what you mean by Centennial...other than 100 years...
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Linda c

Thanks, Centennial, I think they are late 1800's. Not sure.

Thanks for helping me figure these out. Kim

Nice chairs!

Thank you; I'd like to bring them back to life; however the finish has been abused. Does anyone have an idea where I should go with these or is the time and effort not worth the results. I'd like to keep them as close to original as possible not refinish. ?? Kim

Very nice....but I see nothing that indicates more than say5 0 or 60 years old....but nothing that says they are not that old. What makes you say 1880's?
When faced with wanting to preserve the original finish, or "bring them back to life" without stripping, restaining and adding another finish, I first try to figure out what kind of finish is on them....start with wiping with mineral spirits....ought to clean off a lot of crud!
Then in an un noticed spot, like inside the back leg high under the seat, dab a bit of shellac thinner with a cotton ball or a piece of paper towel....see if that dissolces the finish. if it does you will know the finish is shellac.....and you can wipe most of the old finish off with alcohol,shellacthinner.
If that doesn't do much then mix 2/3 shellac thinner with 1/3 lacquer thinner.....andw ipe a spot with that...
Teh finish should melt pretty well. So wipe that on and wipe it off....it should remelt the lod finish, allowing you to remove some and also allowing the old finish to flow into checks and small nicks and chips. Stop applying and wiping when it's the way you want it....let it dry several days and apply another finish if you wish.
Restore-a-finish comes with good recommends but I have never used it.
Regardless of how old they are, they are great chairs....lucky you!
Linda C

Centennial furniture is Victorian-era furniture based upon the styles of the late Georgian/Colonial and Federal periods. It was produced at the time of the Centennial of the United States up until about 1900, and corresponded with one of the Colonial-Revival periods of architecture. It is usually a fancied-up Victorian-ized version with less refined proportion than the 18th century version. The heavy knuckled arm and swaggy carving on the knee of your chairs would point to that as well as the heavy splat.

They could be a later revival than this but the Sesquicentennial related revival of the 1920s tended to be a lighter version again with some simplified deco elements.

This is a Centennial piece: its 3/4 scale of a 18th c. highboy.

This is also a Centennial piece, although not furniture, probably signage:

This is a 20th C. Revival chair that has been produced since the mid-century. Its back to the lighter arm with more delicate knuckles and a knee with a shell on it, and more open piercing than yours appears to be, more aimed at creating a "reproduction" of the original. The Victorians were not as interested in reproducing as in making a "better" version of the original, to their way of thinking.

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Didn't know that.....thanks, Pal.

Thanks to all; I learned alot about how to figure out the finish and their era. Will keep you posted on how its going. KW

Pal, I love reading your posts here and elsewhere-I always learn something new! Of course, I am partial as a PhilaPA area native! :)

Pretty chairs, Kim! Let us see them again when you are finished.