First Church Pews… reimagined
The First Church of Sandwich was founded in 1638 under Plymouth Colony Charter and the Mayflower Compact. Mayflower Pilgrims and their children were charter members. The church’s current facility was constructed and dedicated from 1847-48. The pews’ distress and patina are consistent with this date.
Elvis Presley’s 1967 3X platinum Gospel album, How Great Thou Art features a large image of the church in the background. This was Elvis’s only non-movie soundtrack released between 1962 and 1968. It won him his first Grammy Award and fueled his comeback. Given Elvis’s fan base, this is likely one of the most photographed churches in the country. Elvis, by the way, never visited the church in Sandwich himself.
Tom was gifted the pews and he reciprocated by doing restoration work on the church’s front doors. The pews were then reconfigured into several fine pieces of one-of-a-kind furniture.
Trestle Table
This table features a four board, clear pine top that measures one inch thick. At 101 inches long, it will comfortably seat eight people.
Stripping the varnish revealed a warm, rich, natural color, created by years of aging. The top has light distressing, which is not surprising, considering its history.
The trestle base is constructed out of antique pine from various sources.
The table measures 44 inches wide by 101 inches long by 30 inches high.
End Table Set
These matching end tables feature tops constructed from church pew seats.The drawers and aprons are comprised of the same material. the shelves are hand-planed pine from an antique home in Barnstable, MA.
The legs are made from reclaimed antique framing stock from an unknown source.
The tables measure 24½ inches high by 24 inches wide by 22 inches deep. The drawers measure 4 inches high by 16 inches wide by 18½ inches deep. The knobs are hand made from antique pine.
Bench and Wall Storage Set
Stripping painted pews exposed a rich, natural pumpkin pine color . Mahogany trim provided a pronounced contrast to the pine in addition to generating the design inspiration.
The bench measures 19 ¾ inches wide by 20 ¼ inches deep by 33 inches high.
The top measures 47 ½ inches wide by 11½ inches deep by 19 ¾ inches high.
Coffee Table (SOLD)
Hand-planed church pew seat boards comprise this table top.
The base features mortise and tenon construction, made of antique lumber from various sources.
The table measures 25” wide by 50” long by 17” high.