American examples of 'campaign' furniture are very uncommon; a period design such as this bench is scarce.
Officer’s Field bench – American Civil War Officer's bench, ca.1860.
This very handsome bench is constructed of your choice of walnut, cherry, maple or oak hardwoods The underside of the bench is constructed with special brass hinges designed so the legs fold up against the bottom of the bench. A lock bolt holds the leg in position when the bench is in use, but is removed and stowed inside the bench when the legs are folded up for transport.
Two hooks keep the legs in the folded position which makes a convenient 'package'. These benches were used prior to the civil war, mainly in small farm houses. Back in those days, most farm houses or cabins were very small. Most rooms were about 12 feet x 12 feet in size. Most places only had two or three rooms. The kitchen and bathroom (out house) were separate buildings.
These benches seated three soldiers (but now days, two adults or three children would easily fit). When not in use, the benches were kept in a folded state and stored in a corner or hung on a wall. A leather handle made it easy for travel. In its folded configuration, it would also fit on a pack mule or in a buggy. Folding benches of this type were also used with 'folding tables' that were also popular during the 1850s and 1860s.
The complete furniture kit includes pre-cut, unfinished hardwood component parts, hardware and easy to follow step-by-step assembly instructions . Combine with a matching end table kit, bench or hall tree. Available in: Cherry, Walnut, Oak, and Maple.
