Originally painted white and smaller in scale than a standard hearse, this 1875 hand-carved horse-drawn hearse was built specifically for the funerals of children and young maidens. Its exterior is adorned with hand-carved drapes, tassels, acanthus-embellished pilasters, Rococo shells, C-scrolls, flowers, and a tri-foliate gallery. An ornate removable cupola sits atop the carriage, designed to hold a Christian cross or any symbol chosen for the departed. The origin and maker remain unknown.
The current owners acquired the hearse in Niagara, Canada, in 2000. For the past 16 years it has been housed at the Darkwing Manor and Morguetorium Museum (now closed) in Medford, Oregon, where it was garaged and occasionally displayed as part of an award-winning collection. The undercarriage remains in excellent condition with newly built rubber-treaded wooden wheels — 33 inches at the front and 42.5 inches at the rear — along with new brass-tipped trees and a shaft designed for a two-horse team.
The hearse measures 145 inches in length excluding the shaft, with an axle-to-axle span of 7 feet 5 inches and a total height of 101 inches to the top of the removable 23-inch wooden cross. Age is evident throughout: the wood shows checking, flaking, and minor loss, though the original haunting black paint remains. The rear door sags, some seam separation and cracking has occurred, a few decorative elements have detached or gone missing, and parts of the nickel-plated bench seat trim are gone. Coffin rollers and glass remain in place.
Specifications
- Year: 1875
- Body Type: Horse-Drawn Hearse (child/maiden)
- Exterior: Black (original)
- Location: Medford, Oregon
Status: ARCHIVED via eBay — last seen listed at $7,650 in Medford, Oregon (August 2016)