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Senate Desks
Senate desks
In 1819, the Senate ordered 48 new desks at a cost of $34 each from New York cabinetmaker Thomas Constantine, to replace those burned by the British during the War of 1812. When the Senate moved into the chamber it now occupies in 1859, they took with them the desks as well. All the original "Constantine" desks remain in use in the Senate Chamber today. As new states entered the Union, additional desks of similar design were built by other cabinetmakers and installed.
Over the years, modifications have been made to the desks. Beginning in the 1830s, and periodically over the next 40 years, three- to four-inch high mahogany writing boxes were added to each desk. Mahogany shelves were later installed under the desktops to provide additional room for books and papers. At the turn of the 20th century, the feet were enclosed with a metal grille and connected to a plenum chamber below the floor which provided ventilation. Inkwells and sanders atop the desks have also changed. Original inkwells were composed of clear cut glass, covered with square, flat tops that moved horizontally. In 1933, the remaining original inkwells were replaced by containers having hinged covers, since the earlier design was no longer manufactured.
Today, the history of each desk may be traced by reading the names carved inside the desk drawers. These inscriptions are a 20th-century tradition, and not all the names were personally inscribed by the senators. However, in recent decades, senators have adhered more closely to a tradition of personally inscribing their desks.
