Object Record
Images
Additional Images [3]
Metadata
Accession number |
1990.060 |
Object Identification Number |
1990.060.031 |
Object Name |
Table |
Donor |
Bedstemors, Inc. |
Description |
The table is made of wood and is covered with brown varnish. The top is rectangular and has rounded corners and a faceted edge. A skirt extends from the underside edge of the table top on three sides; the skirt on the fourth side is missing. The skirts are carved along the bottom edge in a series of points with incised lines; some of the lines are vertical, some are curved, and some are circular. Four circular legs extend from the center of the bottom of the table top. The legs have a turned design with two raised lines near the center. The legs rest on top of a cross-shaped piece of wood on top of which is a circular piece of wood with a raised circle in the middle and a faceted edge. From the middle of the bottom of the cross-shaped piece extends a rectangular section of wood with a knobed finial at the base. The table's four feet are flat pieces of wood that curve downward from the rectangular section. On both sides of each foot is an incised design that is a curved line with three circles around one end of the line and two lines on the top and bottom. On the top edge of each foot are three incised parallel lines. On a piece of masking tape on the underside of the table top is printed: "On loan - Charles & Julie Larsen". |
Dimensions |
H-27.375 W-22 L-30.25 inches |
Owned By |
Larsen, Julie |
Material |
wood |
Associated People |
Larsen, Charles Larsen, Julie |
Search Terms |
table furniture Larsen, Charles Larsen, Julie |
Provenance |
This item was one of the furnishings provided to Bedstemors House during its restoration in the 1980s. HOUSE HISTORY Bedstemors Hus, or Grandmother's House, was built in 1908 by Jens Otto Christiansen, a Danish immigrant and Elk Horn businessman. He was often referred to as "Prince Otto" because he wore a coat with tails and a tall hat when going to church, and he walked very straight. According to local stories, he built the house as an engagement gift for a young woman who sadly turned down his marriage proposal. It is unknown if Christiansen ever lived in the home himself, but he rented the home to several families until he sold it to the Salem Old People’s Home in 1933 for "one dollar and other valuable contributions." In 1946, the house was sold to Meta Mortensen, also of Danish descent. She lived in the home for 36 years, making only a few notable changes. The roses that she planted along all four sides of the house still bloom. In 1982, Meta sold the house to the Elk Horn-Kimballton Arts and Recreation Council for $8800. The Council and many area volunteers spent a year restoring the home to reflect the turn of the century. They named it "Bedstemor's House", using the Danish word for "Grandmother", in honor of Meta Mortensen who was herself a Danish-American grandmother. The House opened to the public in July of 1983, and a formal dedication was held October 1. Meta Mortensen was the guest of honor. It was after 1983 that the front porch was reconstructed and the exterior of the home was repainted from the white that Meta had had to the original two-tone green. The only modern room was just off the kitchen. Formerly Meta's bedroom, the room became the office for staff and has remained as such. The Council operated the house for seven years until it was donated to the Museum in 1990. Minutes from the Board of Directors meeting in February that year show that the donation was accepted for the Museum. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 16, 1997. The Museum continues to operate Bedstemor’s House as an historic house museum, interpreting the home in its first decade. The home is located at 2105 College Street in Elk Horn on its original foundation. On June 25, 2008, the Museum held a dedication for the new tombstone for Jens Otto Christiansen who had not had a formal stone until then. It marked the centennial of the house. The ceremony was held at the Elk Horn Cemetery and a reception at Bedstemors House followed. |
Images |
158\1990060031.JPG |
Date Received by Museum |
1990 |