Who out there is familiar with the name davenport? (Yes, you geography experts are correct...there's a town on the eastern edge of Iowa called Davenport.) But that's not quite what I had in mind. I was thinking the other day about the term my parents frequently use for the furniture in their living room...davenport. I wondered where the heck they came up with such a strange name for their COUCH?! So thanks to the modern miracle that is the internet, I did a little research. It turns out that the word "davenport" became a generalized trademark (yeah, I just learned that one too...it's kind of like calling tissues "kleenex") after furniture made by A.H. Davenport & Company peaked in popularity. The term was very popular in the Midwest. The Davenport Co. was around from the mid-1800's to 1973 and even made furniture for the White House. Some of their pieces currently reside in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Makes me feel extra special when I go to Mom & Dad's and have a seat on their "davenport"!!
Come on over and have a seat anytime!
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