Brooksville Exhibit Reveals Companion Chairs’ Design and Social Role

Mary Sheldon’s column examined companion chairs exhibited at the May-Stringer House, using the pieces to illustrate how furniture both reflected and accommodated social norms and clothing fashions of the period. The column focused on variations between so-called gentlemen’s and ladies’ companion chairs, noting that differences in arm design and proportion were functional responses to gendered dress and seating practices.

Sheldon described how arm styles accommodated period fashions such as hoop skirts and wide skirts, explaining that some ladies’ companion chairs were built with a single arm or with altered arm heights to allow skirts to drape comfortably. Gentlemen’s companion chairs, by contrast, typically emphasized sturdier construction and different arm placement suited to contemporary male dress and posture. The May-Stringer set on display was singled out for its craftsmanship: a mahogany ensemble with a carved apron and a one-armed lady’s chair that demonstrates both aesthetic carving and practical adaptation for clothing of the era.

The column placed these design choices in a broader cultural context, showing how a single furniture type can reveal social rituals of conversation, courtship and domestic life. For Hernando County residents, that connection between object and everyday behavior offers a window into the county’s own past and the lives of its early residents.

Sheldon also included practical visitor information: the May-Stringer House was open during the holiday week and the May-Stringer House, the 1885 Depot Museum and the Countryman One Room Schoolhouse maintain regular tour hours for visitors. Those interested in viewing the companion chairs and related period interiors are encouraged to plan visits during regular tour times.

Preserving and displaying pieces like the May-Stringer companion set supports local heritage tourism and education, drawing visitors who spend at nearby shops and restaurants and helping sustain museum operations. For residents, the exhibit is both a close study in woodworking and design and a tangible reminder of how fashion and function shaped daily life in Brooksville’s past.