New from the MCHC Press
The Material World of Eyre Hall: Four Centuries of Chesapeake History
edited by carl r. lounsbury, ph.d
Published in September 2021 by the Maryland Center for History and Culture, in association with D Giles Ltd.
Few places on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay boast a continuity like Eyre Hall, built in 1759 by Littleton Eyre and occupied by his descendants to this day. Featuring the work of 22 contributors and 400 stunning illustrations, The Material World of Eyre Hall offers a rare and fascinating insight into the preservation of a family home in the midst of changing aspects of southern history through Eyre Hall’s material culture, which will appeal to enthusiasts of architecture, gardens, decorative arts, and beyond.
Cover price: $89.95 (MCHC members receive a 15% discount).
The book in the News
Read recently published articles about The Material World of Eyre Hall published in The Magazine ANTIQUES, and Antiques and the Arts Weekly.
The eloquent introduction and history of the Eyre family coupled with first-hand accounts of those who lived and worked at Eyre Hall provide a valuable context for understanding the extraordinary buildings, landscape, and household objects that survive to tell its history.
—Carol B. Cadou, Charles F. Montgomery Director and CEO, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
The richness found in these pages surpasses much of what we see and hear at public historic house museums and sites.
—Christy S. Coleman, Executive Director, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Thanks to this beautiful book, Eyre Hall finally has the wider audience that it deserves.
—Jeffrey E. Klee, Vice President and Senior Director of Architecture, Classical American Homes Preservation Trust
Authors and Contributors
Dr. Carl R. Lounsbury, Senior Architectural Historian, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (retired), Adjunct Associate Professor of History, College of William and Mary.
Dr. Cary Carson is Senior Vice President of Research at Colonial Williamsburg, retired.
Contributions by: Laura Pass Barry, Bennie Brown, Edward A. Chappell, Sam Florer, Erik Goldstein, Haley Hoffman, Robert Hunter, Neal T. Hurst, Angelika R. Kuettner, Mark B. Letzer, Carl R. Lounsbury, George W. McDaniel, Katie McKinney, Elizabeth Palms, Sumpter Priddy, Margaret Pritchard, Will Rieley, Alexandra Rosenberg, J. Thomas Savage, Gary Stanton, Robert Watkins, and John Watson.
Table of contents
Acknowledgments by Carl R. Lounsbury
Foreword by J. Thomas Savage
Eyreloom: An Introduction by Cary Carson
I. The Changing Fortunes of the Eyre Family through Four Centuries
- Chapter 1 • Golden Quarter by Carl R. Lounsbury
Eyreville: Archaeology of the Late Seventeenth Century by Haley Hoffman - Chapter 2 • Eyre Hall: Power House by Carl R. Lounsbury
Working the Land by Sam Florer - Chapter 3 • The Bounty of Eyre Hall: From Working Plantation to Summer Retreat in the Long Nineteenth Century by Carl R. Lounsbury
Escaping Enslavement by Whaleboat, 1832 by Alexandra Rosenberg
Health Retreats and Pleasure Grounds by Robert Watkins
Hoofprints by Elizabeth Palms - Chapter 4 • Eyre Hall in the Twentieth Century: “I’m Home” by George W. McDaniel
A Scrapbook of Recollections by Those Who Called Eyre Hall “Home” by George W. McDaniel
II. Architecture
- The Architecture of the House by Carl R. Lounsbury
Architectural Hardware by Edward A. Chappell
Wallpaper by Margaret Pritchard - Domestic Service Buildings by Carl R. Lounsbury
- Home Farm by Carl R. Lounsbury
III. Landscape
- Garden and Grounds by Will Rieley
- Green-house by Will Rieley
- Graveyard by Carl R. Lounsbury
IV. Catalogue
- Furniture by Sumpter Priddy
- Silver by Mark B. Letzer
- Ceramics by Robert Hunter and Angelika R. Kuettner
- Glass by Angelika R. Kuettner
- Paintings by Laura Pass Barry
- Maps by Katie McKinney
- Prints by Katie McKinney
- Books by Bennie Brown
- Musical Instruments by John Watson
- Sheet Music by Gary Stanton
- Costume and Textiles by Neal T. Hurst
- Ironwork and Arms by Erik Goldstein
Index
Photo Credits