The Jefferson Original
Considered to be the first of Jefferson's many inventions throughout his lifetime, this elegant little desk was his constant companion from the time his cousin Benjamin Randolph made for him in his Philadelphia workshop in the spring of 1776 until shortly before his death in 1826
During his second trip to Philadelphia as Virginia's Representative to the Continental Congress in 1776, Mr Jefferson designed and had built a small, neat and convenient traveling desk, considered to be among the very first of his many inventions
Among the first things written on his desk was the drafts of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the last was the note he attached to the desk when he gave it to his granddaughter Elleanora and her husband Joseph Coolidge as a wedding gift in November 1825 seven months before his death on July 4, 1826
This section showcases the craftsmanship and historical significance of the desk that was designed by Thomas Jefferson and crafted in his cousin Benjamin Randolph's Philadelphia workshop in 1776
Benjamin Randolph
Philadelphia Cabinetmaker
Thomas Jefferson's cousin with whom he stayed in 1775 and 1776
The Declaration of Independence Desk was made in his workshop by a sketch from Mr Jefferson
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1771 Portrait by Charles Willson Peale of Colonel Lambert Cadwalader with a chair attributed to Benjamin Randolph
John Cadwalader Chippendale Mahogany
Side Chair
Sold at auction
14 Oct 1999 for $1,432,500
Attributed to the shop of Benjamin Randolph
Note the similarities to the chair in the above portrait
Thomas Jefferson's
Declaration of Independence Desk
The Declaration Desks
