Chaise, Concord Express Wagon, Summer Hearse

   Chaise - Also known as a ‘one horse shay’, this vehicle has an ingenious suspension system, which accounts for its popularity in its time.  The body is suspended on leather straps, called thoroughbraces, and the seat is mounted on wooden cantilevered springs, making for its comfortable ride.  The weight of the occupants is over the axle, making the vehicle well-balanced and easy on the horse.  It is also known as a Boston Chaise or New England Chaise.

  Concord Express Wagon - This wagon was on the front lawn of the Elliott Homestead in Whiteface Interval for many years, after decades of use by the Elliott's.  Floyd Hackett of Laconia restored it from 1981-84 and donated it to the Sandwich Historical Society.  This wagon was one of the many styles made by the Abbott and Downing Company in Concord.

   Summer hearse - Similar to the winter hearse in this collection, funeral director Henry N. Clay also used this hearse for many years in the Sandwich area for burials.