The Even Arm Settle

“It is unique and pleasing because of its striking simplicity, its lack of effected ornamentation, its strength and durability, and above all, because it is comfortable.”

The above sentence could be describing the new Promise Woods cabins or the Adirondack chairs on the front lawn at Camp Deerpark. In fact, it is a quote from the 1905 Limbert catalog, describing Arts and Crafts furniture like the “even arm settle” on the front porch of Spruce Lodge. For fifty years Camp Deerpark campers, guests and staff have been sitting on this old green seat on the porch enjoying the view of the front lawn.

Over the years Camp Deerpark has shed most of the furnishings and goods that came with the property when it was purchased in 1969. A few pieces of steel lawn furniture can still be seen on a staff house porch, and most of the tables in the dining room would be familiar to campers from 1969, just as the kitchen staff would remember the wooden walk-in cooler; and, of course, the front porch bell is still being used. In the past few years, though, camp said good-bye to the old rusty red wagon, the Hobart mixer and the last Ashworth woolen blanket, which was returned to the Ashworth family.

The Arts and Crafts Movement in America originated in mid-19th century England, which began as a revolt against the Industrial Revolution and the dehumanization of the workers being replaced by machines. A hallmark of the movement was hand craftsmanship and a return to simplicity, an ideal which applied not only to the lifestyle of the follower, but also to the furniture and accessories throughout the home. Ornately carved rosewood and mahogany furniture was replaced with rectilinear forms of quarter sawn oak. Mortise and tenon joints (a simple and strong way to join pieces of wood), butterfly keys (joint reinforcement in the shape of a butterfly), and the grain of the wood itself were used for decoration. Furniture from the Arts and Crafts period (circa 1894–1916) became hugely popular in the 1980s and ’90s. In fact, in 1995, camp staff learned the value of the seat and considered moving it to a safer location.

So how valuable is our old green seat? If it was built by Limbert, it’s value is around $2,000 as it sits now, and as much as $4,000 if fully restored. Charles Limbert began branding his work in 1906. If the piece on the Camp Deerpark porch was made by Limbert, it was made before 1906 because no brand is evident. The camp staff has concluded that the even arm settle’s greatest value is as a seat on the front porch for children and grandmothers and everyone in between. It was always a favorite spot for Aquilina Torres, the matriarch of the Torres family, and founding member of First Spanish Mennonite Church in Brooklyn. The latest set of cushions was made possible with a donation from the Torres Family.

New York City Anabaptists live in a hurried and complex city that never sleeps. Camp Deerpark is a quiet and simple place where children and adults can slow down and sit for an extended time and enjoy the serenity of stillness. The Arts and Crafts seat on the front porch of Spruce Lodge has remained for 50 years a symbol of simplicity and beauty.

—Written by Ken Bontrager, current director.

Source: Tina A Richey—Antique Week,Vol 30, No 47.

Related Entries

• 50 Years of Camp Deerpark Buildings
• 50 Years of Camp Deerpark Directors
• A Beautiful Scene
• A Conscious Decision
• A Place on the Hill