This hearse was made by the carriage firm of James Cunningham & Son of Rochester, New York about 1890. The hearse is a part of the Winmill Collection that arrived at Morven Park in 1970.

Early American Hearses were simple, flat-bed wagons draped with morning cloth. A flat roof was added, supported by pillars. But by the mid nineteenth century, the casket was enclosed in glass. The driver's seat was moved forward and covered with hammer-cloth. Large and ornate lanterns were added. Hearses were usually black except those used for children's funerals.

The "hammer-cloth" on the coachman's seat, the fine ornate lamps, and general stately grandeur of this hearse distinguish it from the more modest and strictly functional kinds found in most small towns and country districts. The firm of Cunningham & Son produced a much more elegant carriage than the ordinary buggy maker and this hearse was obviously designed for the well-to-do, or those wanting to make a display of opulence.

Mrs. Winmill passed away on August 28, 1975. It had been Mrs. Winmill's wish that her casket be carried in her hearse when the time came for her burial, a requirement that had been stipulated when the collection was given to the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation, Inc., which owns and operates Morven Park. As she had requested, the Cunningham hearse was delivered to her church in Warrenton, Virginia, in preparation for the funeral procession. The hearse was drawn by two magnificent, matched, champion Shire horses and driven by their owner, Mr. Howard S. Streaker, Jr. from West Friendship, Maryland. Mr. Streaker had been a coaching friend of Viola, and was accompanied by his son, Howard F. Streaker III as his Attendant. A long funeral procession, mostly on foot, accompanied the hearse on the short trip to the Warrenton Cemetery. After the funeral the hearse was returned to the Collection at Morven Park where it is on display today.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Winmill Livingston Armstrong, Virginia. "Gone Away With the Winmills," 1977.
Berkebile, Don H. "Carriage Terminology: A Historical Dictionary," 1978.

 

Past Items of Interest

The Hansom Cab
The Caleche
The Skeleton Break
The Steam Pumper
The Tom Thumb Carriage
The Sprinkler Wagon
The Omnibus
The Governess or Tub Cart
The Winmill Zebra