“The prayer chair is probably one of the most important pieces that we have. That is the little chair with wooden carved back. That was brought from Paris in 1856. My grandfather’s brother and his family had lived in Paris for about six years. He had some diplomatic mission over there. When they came back, they brought back that chair to my mother from Paris. And his wife made the needlepoint seat, which still is on the chair. [It was called the prayer chair] because it’s typical of the chairs they have in the cathedrals—or they did at that time and I suppose they still had—in place of benches. They had the individual chairs and people can come at any time; they kneel with their faces toward the back and say their prayers. But they are not as elaborate at this one. They are very, very plain chairs. It has its significance.” -Helen Fillebrown