Antique of the Week: English Secretary Bookcase

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community’s points of pride. Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week, we are featuring an English secretary bookcase circa 1780 sold at . Sandra Ellington, the proprietor of the shop, said the secretary is composed of English mahogany with the secondary wood as oak and fine dovetails. She said that it was commissioned to accommodate the original owner’s needs.  

The drawers were most likely for storage of maps or architectural drawings, Ellington mentioned. One of the obvious changes from the original is the replacement of the leather on the center of the desk with green felt.

The English secretary was created during a tumultuous period of English history.  After the United States declared its independence in 1776, England was embroiled with the Gordon riots that were an anti-Catholic movement spearheaded by Lord Gordon. Charles Dickens even wrote a historical novel about the riots, "Barnaby Rudge," which can be downloaded for free at Project Gutenberg.

For an English secretary bookcase that carries more history than meets the eye, you can purchase it for $4800 at Onslow Square, located at 4125-4131 Howard Ave. Interested parties can call Ellington at 301-530-9393.