Fort Vancouver Historic Structures Report

Furnishings

Available inventories provide a reasonably complete picture of the tools and equipment found in the Carpenter Shop. One item, "1 Screw pr bench," indicates that there was at least one workbench and that it had a wood vice. It seems reasonable to assume, however, that a shop for four carpenters would have had more than one workbench. There may also have been several stools or benches. Evidently there was no stove or other means of heating.

If the Carpenter Shop is to be refurnished and exhibited, evidence of work in progress should also be visible. Partly finished window sash, shutters, a simple chair or two, wheel spokes, benches, and handles for farm and garden tools would illustrate the range of tasks assigned to the depot carpenters.

Because paintbrushes and paint kettles are listed in the inventories, it is possible that a small part of the depot's stock of paint and linseed oil was kept in the Carpenter Shop, ready for mixing and use as needed. A supply of window glass also was probably kept on hand. For descriptions of the types of paint and oil and of the sizes of windowpanes kept in stock at Fort Vancouver, see pages 266 and 271, volume I of this study.

The loft over the Carpenter Shop was probably reached by a ladder and trapdoor, although it is possible that there was no loft flooring over the ground-floor ceiling beams. This space under the roof almost certainly contained a stock of seasoned and seasoning planks and timbers.

One of the best available lists of items in the Carpenter Shop is the following found under the heading "Articles in Use" in the Fort Vancouver Depot inventory taken in the spring of 1844:

The list in the inventory taken in the spring of 1845 was some what shorter but contained a few interesting additional items:

The list in the 1847 inventory is not much different from that of 1848, which is reproduced below, but there are a few distinctive items that might be noted:

The Fort Vancouver Depot inventory of "Articles in Use" taken in the spring of 1848 contains the following detailed list: