American & Southern | May 30, 2025
Fri, May 30, 2025 10:00AM EDT
Lot 1077
Stockton Johns Family Historic Delaware Federal Mahogany Sofa
Estimate: $5,000 - $7,000
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $100 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
Delaware area, late 18th century mahogany with poplar, yellow pine, and oak secondary, arched back and rolled arms, deeply serpentine front rail, on tapered legs, fine modern upholstery, 39-1/2 x 93-1/2 x 31 in.
Provenance: By descent in the Stockton, Johns and Van Dyke families of Newcastle, Delaware; sold Brunk Auctions, November 16th, 2013, lot 462; Private Collection, Asheville, North Carolina
Notes: Amstel House in Newcastle, Delaware, served as the home of Delaware's first governor, Nicholas Van Dyke, and was the site of his daughter Anna's wedding to Kensey Johns III. The family remained in the Newcastle area after moving from the Amstel House in 1789. Thomas Stockton (1781-1846), governor of Delaware, was the grand-nephew of Richard Stockton, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. His marriage to Fidelia Rogerson Johns, daughter of Anna and Kensey Johns III, in 1804 in Newcastle, united the Stockton family with two other prominent families, Johns and Van Dyke. The Johns family had moved to Delaware from Anne Arundel County, Maryland. When Amstel House became the property of the Newcastle Historical Society in 1929, Elizabeth Moore, granddaughter of Thomas and Fidelia Stockton, donated numerous objects to the Society. Given the sumptuous design and probable date of this sofa, it was perhaps made on the occasion of the marriage of Governor Van Dyke's daughter in 1784, she married Kensey Johns, Sr., of a prominent Newcastle family. President Washington attended the wedding. At the time that many of the Stockton-Johns family heirlooms were acquired by the Amstel House at historic Newcastle, an exact copy of this sofa was made for the parlor of the former governor's mansion.
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By descent in the Stockton, Johns and Van Dyke families of Newcastle, Delaware; sold Brunk Auctions, November 16th, 2013, lot 462; Private Collection, Asheville, North Carolina
break and repair at one rear leg, central front leg pieced, frame appears to be an excellent condition (back upholstery panel and scrim previously removed for examination, not fully examined under upholstery)
Note - Brunk Auctions makes every effort to offer accurate and thorough information, but encourages prospective bidders to inspect items in person whenever possible. Condition statements are provided as a courtesy for general guidance and should not be considered complete or definitive. They do not represent a warranty or assumption of liability by Brunk Auctions. Certain condition issues may not be specifically noted in the report but may be visible in the accompanying photographs, which are considered part of the overall condition report. Please refer to our Terms of Sale for complete information and contact us for additional photos or information as needed.
