Show Cupboards Once Used as Furniture in Churches Cupboards were originally bordes and were used for setting cups on so we read writes Alice R. R Rollins in the Los Angeles Times The earliest known were con con- constructed constructed constructed like shelves arranged in insteps instep insteps steps step and were used in churches to contain the utensils for conducting worship In time a board or shelf developed into a movable piece of furniture and subsequently in the days of wall paneling into a wall cupboard Such cupboards were in common use in the American col col- colonies colonies col- col colonies onies between 1720 Some of the early examples of cupboards are described as being closed in the upper part with one or two doors the lower an open shelf shell A drawer was added below the middle shelf and in time the low low- lower lower lower er part was first with doors and then with drawers The shelf shell as a decorative motif was generally used Another type is open at the top the lower part closed with a adoor adoor adoor door or doors The early cupboards were paneled in various geometrical designs Carving was vas employed and orna orna- ornamentation ornamentation ornamentation in hi the form f rm of bosses and molding applied Halt Hall spindles was another form of decoration The wood used was generally oak with pine for the tops bottoms and backs In the paneled examples the mold mold- moldings moldings moldings ings are sometimes of cedar but butmore butmore butmore more often of pine beech or maple painted The turned ornaments drops and turtlebacks are of the same woods and are also painted Houses with paneled walls and with cupboards built in to match were quite generally the style in the colonies in the first quarter of the Eighteenth century Most of these cupboards were fastened into side walls l |