Dovetailed into the Landscape

Examining the material, political, and cultural landscapes navigated by East Tennessee cabinetmaker Lewis Buckner (1856–1924), this article draws on archival sources, extant furniture, and oral histories to situate Buckner within broader narratives of Black artisanship in Appalachia and community-building during Reconstruction and the Jim Crow eras. Working in rural Sevier County, Tennessee, Buckner synthesized international design movements, particularly Eastlake and the aesthetic movement, with regional motifs and symbolic carvings to produce furniture and architectural interiors for both Black and white clients. As industrialization and voter suppression laws reshaped East Tennessee’s landscape, Buckner remained resilient, transitioning from independent craftsmanship to employment with large manufacturing firms and exerting his political agency, as evidenced by his role as a delegate to the 1886 Republican Senatorial Convention. Buckner’s material legacy and civic participation challenge dominant historical narratives about the South and affirm the enduring role of Black craftspeople in shaping the physical and political landscapes in rural Appalachia.