The Ticonderoga Historical Society has received the donation of a table that once graced the “banqueting hall” of the original John Hancock mansion in Boston.  The table was the gift of Benn and Claire Eilers of Bend, Oregon.  Mr. Eilers is a descendant of Hancock’s sister-in-law, Sarah Quincy.

With leaves that extend to 30 feet, the table is constructed of birds-eye walnut, a relatively rare wood.  It is believed that George Washington dined at the table while visiting the Hancock House in 1789, during Hancock’s time as governor of Massachusetts.

“This is a remarkable gift,” said THS President Bill Dolback.  “The table comes to us with a well-documented provenance and provides a direct link between our Hancock House and the historic mansion that once stood in Boston.”

The original Hancock House was constructed in 1737 by Thomas Hancock, an uncle of famed signer of the Declaration of Independence John Hancock.  Hancock inherited the house upon his uncle’s death and in the 1860s the house was razed, despite protests from historians and preservationists.

Philanthropist and Ticonderoga native son Horace Moses orchestrated the building of the Ticonderoga Hancock House in 1925, choosing to replicate the architecturally significance Boston home.

The table is now on display in the parlor of the Hancock House and may be viewed daily from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. until Labor Day.  As resources become available, the table will be interpreted to display the appropriate colonial table setting of Hancock’s home.

Founded in 1897 and chartered in 1909, the Ticonderoga Historical Society advances the preservation and interpretation of history through its collections, programs and community outreach.  The Historical Society makes area history an integral part of community life by connecting past and present.