Late 18th century, Hebron, ME. This historically relevant storage chest with family and town history and provenance is accompanied by personal accounts, description to follow, and with script chalk inscriptions on the interior of the lid together with what we believe is the maker’s mark of the iron fittings on the chest. Chest retains its original red wash. The rectangular single pine board lid opening to a storage compartment with till and with reinforcing iron rod joined at the exterior to original iron strapping fastened by rosehead nails. Lid is mounted with two wrought iron hasps mounted to iron rings on the lid and front face of storage chest. The fastenings are reinforced with pine and hewn blocks secured by hand cut nails. Chest retains its original hand cut iron hinges of exceptional length again fastened with original rosehead nails. Each end of the chest is bound on all four edges by a continuous iron band nailed to the case and joined at the mid point of the front edge. Top of band at the front edge is branded on the iron “B+Co+” presumed to be the mark of the blacksmith and possibly the maker of the storage chest. SIZE: 16″ h x 99″ l x 23-1/2″ d. PROVENANCE: Affixed to the till is a handwritten sheet of paper which reads as follows “….pine boards-Civil War gun chest April 9, 1827…chest was used during civil War to keep ammunition-arms for town-in Hebron, Maine/was kept at Packard home-in shed chamber”. Also accompanying the chest is a handwritten document which reads as follows “Provenance on gun chest/Hebron Center Packard Homestead by the grange hall around 1890. Fred Cushman married Edith Packard her son Dwight Cushman opened the place. In shed chamber it was kept for a gun chest so if any trouble broke out the townsfolks would know where to pick up the guns/next went to Joseph Hartley Cushman Greenwood Mtn. Hebron Center…” The partially legible chalk inscription under lid reads “26 guns-67balls-260 lb balls/421 flints Sept. 26-1818/April 9, 1827…”. CONDITION: Chest in very good original condition with normal and expected aging. Very good overall. 52231-1 (500-1,000)