Side Chair
Dick Poynor (American, 1802–1882)
Richard "Dick" Poynor was born a slave in Halifax Country, Virginia, where he lived with a family of well-established craftsmen, who, it is assumed, taught Poynor turning and joinery skills. Sometime between 1850 and 1860, Poynor obtained his freedom and settled in Williamson County, Tennessee. He earned a living making chairs, a craft he also taught his son James. Poynor's chairs are noted for their gracefully curved mule-ear posts and triple-slat backs. This chair was originally made for Milton Meacham, a veteran of the Civil War who also lived in Williamson County. The split seat is an old replacement, woven in 1925 by Poynor's grandson, Will Poynor.