Name/Title
Powder hornEntry/Object ID
2015.723.1Description
Powder horn with wooden plug at the wide end and a leather strap. Etched decoration with "BRIMFIELD" in large letters down the center, flanked by decorative vine and leaves. Leather strap handle.
Between 1774 and 1779, during the height of the American Revolution, Joseph Nelson of Brimfield, Massachusetts carved a number of distinct powder horns emblazoned with his town's name. Each horn had slight variations in design, but all of them featured the same curved leaf and vine motif with "BRIMFIELD" etched across the length in bold letters. This Brimfield powder horn is said to have belonged to the Lane family of Buxton, a prominent military family who fought in many early wars, including King George's War, the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.Dimensions
Length
13-1/4 inDiameter
2-3/4 inDimension Notes
Small end - .50 Dia.
Strap 38.25 LMaterial
animal horn, LeatherInterpretative Labels
Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Joseph Nelson of Brimfield, Massachusetts carved a number of distinctive powder horns between 1774 and 1779. Each had slight variations but all featured the word “BRIMFIELD” in bold letters surrounded by a curved leaf and vine design. The powder horn descended in the Lane family of Buxton and was carried throughout the war by one or more of the Lane family members who fought during the conflict. The powder horn was donated to the York Institute (now Saco Museum) by Anne B. Goodwin (1824-1894) sometime in the late 19th century. Anne Goodwin was the great-granddaughter of John Lane III.
