'By his account rendered': The business of cabinetmaking in York County, Maine, 1815--1840

Through the study of two cabinetmakers' accounts, this thesis argues that geographical proximity does not assure similar experiences among craft businesses. The shops of Nathaniel Knowlton and Joseph Murphy were separated by approximately eight miles of road and yet their operations were different in size and focus. These craftsmen did not operate under the same conditions, nor did they set out to accomplish the same goals. By comparing the experience of a rural cabinetmaker to that of one who worked in a developing industrial town, the multitude of forces that weighed upon every decision are brought to light. Both cabinetmakers were trained in urban areas, which equipped them with style and business knowledge that they could apply to their own shops. Location made a tremendous difference in their access to and competition with the marketplace. Familial concerns were significant factors for both craftsmen, whether in their early years or later in life. Finally, their comfort with financial risk controlled whether or not they would break away from cabinetmaking and into different money-making ventures. Another result of the study is that it complicates traditional models of craftsmanship by illuminating a case in which craft work was given up in favor of farming, a trajectory not often followed by craftspeople. This study also provides a deeper understanding of the craftsmen of York County, Maine in the early nineteenth century.