Actually the Nandina could look quite nice once mature and pruned to accent its potential laciness, here in California it can ultimately get 8 feet tall and form multiple trunks, but is more likely a much slower grower in your zone 5 conditions. I would guess that taller growing plants such as Rose of Sharon and Peonies would also be suitable choices and work with a Victorian period planting scheme. How tall/dense do the Pussy Willows get in your climate? I would be hesitant to plant a willow if I didn't really know what it would do locally, they can be much too big and spreading in some instances. Here in California, Victorian architecture was almost always associated with the newest plant introductions in the trade at that time, and exotic ornamentals such as Pampas Grass, or 100 year old Norfolk Island Pines and Canary Island Date Palms are almost always indicators of a Victorian in the neighborhood. Maybe the best help would be to drive your neighborhood and see what landscaping still exists around other period homes in the area, which would also help you visual ultimate sizes of appropriate plants and proper spacing.

They mixed all kinds of styles (revivals) at the time. I would call it Eastlake, the shallow spoon carving and geometric shapes are distinctive of Eastlake, I would want a bit more flourish then the wing curve, before I would place the influence in Renaissance revival, but they did that, mixing styles. Collectors tend to like styles that are more 'pure' or a pastiche, right now. But I agree, it is worthy of tucking into a back bedroom for a decade. I think anyone who would pay more than $100 for it today would be a foolish romantic, but I would CL it at $150, looking for that buyer and so I could come down in price. 15 years from now it should be worth upwards of $500-$800, and a cherished hand me down. "Oh, that old thing, you can have it." "Really?" "...Honey, you'll never believe what Joe gave me just for helping him put in his new windows..." This post was edited by Lilylore on Thu, Dec 4, 14 at 2:44

The drawer joins are very time-limited - also called the "Knapp joint" for the inventor of the machine that made them. I've seen it variously dated as 1870-1910 to as tight a range as 1880-1900 ... the machines may have been hard to maintain or had some technical reason (perhaps needing thick drawer fronts and using too much wood?) for falling out of use so quickly. I think they took an existing design for an Eastlake influenced piece and tarted it up with a panel in the new Aesthetic style. There are a lot of style hybrids because a manufacturer wouldn't want to abandon the old product line completely if they could just tack on something new.

LyndeeLee - are you referring to the screw that is holding the top canopy thing in place When you mention “down rod with set screw”? I’d love to attach photos of other details to help you get a closer look but some of the terminology is not familiar to me so maybe you can elaborate? To answer your magnet question - it only sticks to the center rod, hidden underneath the brass tube - everything else is not magnetic. I’m obviously not knowledgeable about these things, so I really appreciate everyone’s helpful information!! Thank you all - my house is always surprising me with little historical treasures. 😊