Thomas Day: North Carolina’s Best Known Cabinet Maker
Thomas Day (1801-ca. 1861) practiced the art of cabinetmaking in Milton, a town in Caswell County near the Virginia border, during the first half of the nineteenth century. Day was born in Virginia and moved with his parents and brother to Warren County, N.C., in 1817. He is perhaps North Carolina's most unique and well-known cabinetmaker.
Thomas Day was a free African American who, through his skills and personal endeavors, became one of the most prolific producers of furniture in the state during the antebellum period. Day accomplished this even though the enslavement of African Americans and restrictive laws against free blacks characterized the society in which he lived.
Because of his craftsmanship and outstanding character, Day gained acceptance by the white population. In 1850 he operated the largest cabinet shop in the state, and before his death around 1861, he had successfully mechanized his operations by adapting steam-powered equipment to his shop. Thomas Day furniture and architectural elements are marked by his unique interpretation of popular Victorian furniture styles.
For more information, visit the Caswell County Historical Association Website.
