G : Deyer
New imprint G : Deyer on a 9.5" long rabbet, courtesy of Jason Miller
​George Deyer, b 1790, Manheim, PA a likely candidate based on the plane's details as compared to the majority of known E Deier plane details.
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The son of joiner / cabinet maker Emanuel Deier / Deyer ca 1760-1836, Manheim, PA.
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Plane photos and details presented Facebook group, 1700's & 1800's Planemakers-Toolmakers of South Central Pennsylvania 10-28-2024.
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G : Deyer
9.5" long by 3 1/8" high rabbet plane. Imprint is 15/16 by 3/16".
G : Deyer rabbet, photos and plane details courtesy Jason Miller, the Facebook group, 1700's & 1800's Planemakers-Toolmakers of South Central Pennsylvania dated 10-28-2024.
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The chamfer and chamfer stops follow the design of those found on the majority of the E Deier planes; flat with a step followed by a turnout. The escapement is somewhat different than that found on the E Deier rabbet (below) in that this plane has a more classic upturn nearing the iron. Based on these details, it's the editor's assessment that this plane could well have been made by George, the son of Emanuel Deier. The 9.5" plane length and the swept back wedge finial design fit with the proposed date of the plane .... 1810.
E Deier rabbet plane. 9 7/8" length, fruitwood.
George Deyer b 1790, Manheim, PA.
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Son of joiner / cabinet maker Emanuel (1760-1836) and Sophia Deier / Deyer, Manheim, PA.
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Samuel, b 1791, a joiner in 1811 and 1825 deeds, was probably a brother.
Emanuel Deyer and Family
Birth AUGUST 25, 1760 • Manheim, PA
Death JULY 13, 1836 • Manheim, PA
Father: Johannes Emanuel Dyer
Mother: Anna Christiana Duffenderfer
Married: Sophia Gerhard in Manheim, PA in 1783
Children:
Emanuel 1789
George 1790
Samuel 1791
William 1796
Elizabeth 1797
Magdalena 1799
Jacob 1802
Catherine 1803
John 1804
Deyer Family Trades
A search of online period records in FamilySearch, Ancestry, The History of Lancaster County by Ellis, The Lancaster Historical Society collection and The Philadelphia Museum of Art yielded trades for Emanuel, his father Johannes, and several of his sons. An 1812 tax list for Manheim, included Emanuel and his sons George, Samuel and Emanuel Jr.​​
George Deyer Craftsman Examples
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Christie's Auction 2012
A Cristie Auction from 2012 included a 1814 tall case clock by Jacob Eby. The case is signed by George Deyer, son of Emanuel Deyer. The auction entry also included a write-up on the Deyer family of craftsmen.
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A FEDERAL EAGLE INLAID MAHOGANY TALL-CASE CLOCK
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DIAL SIGNED BY JACOB EBY (1776-1828), THE CASE SIGNED GEORGE DEYER, MANHEIM, PENNSYLVANIA, DATED 1814
​The Deyer (Dyer) family of Manheim, Pennsylvania, is well known both for architectural woodwork and for furniture making. Particularly associated with the Deyer shop are clock cases with eagle-inlaid reserves housing works of Jacob Eby (1776-1828), the preeminent clockmaker of Manheim who was responsible for the majority of Deyer clock movements. Deyer workshop oval eagle inlaid clocks are readily distinguished by the specific attributes of the eagle, including a striped shield as its body, a banner reading "E Pluribus Unum" in its beak, an arrow in one claw, and an olive branch in the other. Two versions of the eagle were used: one with symmetrically spread wings and one with wings angled to the left, as in the clock here. Interestingly, the layouts are said to have been inspired by contemporary U.S. currency, from 1801 to 1807, which featured a symmetrical spread-wing eagle, and after 1807, which appeared with an asymmetrical eagle. For more information on the Deyer workshop, please see Wendy A. Cooper and Lisa Minardi, Paint Pattern & People: Furniture of Southeastern Pennsylvania 1725-1850 (Winterthur, Delaware, 2011), pp. 183-188.
​Photo courtesy Christie's Auction
Philadelphia Museum of Art
High Chest of Drawers
1808
George Dyer (American, active 1804–1846)
Cabinetmaker George Dyer incorporated the latest furniture designs into this high chest, which would have held textiles and other belongings. Lightwood inlay forms long ovals on the front of each drawer, while the drawers are framed by a geometric pattern inlaid above and below the drawers and the columnar insets at the sides.
Most distinctively, two eagles on the uppermost long drawer are formed in light-colored and variously dyed woods and red wax. Borrowed from the art of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, the eagle was adopted for the United States seal in the 1780s, and it was displayed proudly in works of art like this chest.
Dyer, who signed and dated this chest, was of German descent, but this chest’s design and ornament would have been fashionable in the houses of people of many backgrounds who lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Object Details
Title:
High Chest of Drawers
Date:
1808
Artist:
George Dyer (American, active 1804–1846)
Medium:
Cherry, dark and lightwood inlay; brass, iron
Dimensions:
66 3/4 × 42 × 20 3/8 inches (169.5 × 106.7 × 51.8 cm)
Classification:
Furniture/Furnishings
Credit Line:
Gift of Hannah L. Henderson in memory of J. Welles Henderson, 2009
Accession Number:
2009-1-1
Geography:
Made in Manheim, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Zion Reformed Church
OLD ZION’S TRUMPET …Blow ye the trumpet in Zion… Volume 35 Number 1 Brickerville, PA Strawberry Social May 2017
Highlights taken from the research paper: Architectural – Historical Report on Old Zion Reformed Church – Brickerville, by John J. Snyder Jr.
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“Old Zion’s architecture was most likely influenced by Rev. John Theobald Faber, who preached there between 1807 and 1819. Faber witnessed the replacement of the old log church with the present brick building. He brought a Philadelphia orientation to this area which influenced its style of architecture. Another most definite influence was the “joiner” or builder, Emanuel Deyer of Manheim. Records mention him as a leading craftsman and prominent joiner of the area. His name was found on loose boards discovered beneath the chancel platform of 1890. They document Deyer as the builder in 1813, assisted by his sons George and William. It is logical that he followed architectural pattern books of the period, in particular, the Rules of Work of the Carpenter’s Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, 1786. Old Zion’s six original first floor windows and the two tall windows flanking the pulpit have interlaced muntins (bar or rigid supporting strip between adjacent panes of glass) typical of the decorative ornamentation exemplified in the aforementioned source.”
OLD ZION’S TRUMPET, Winter 2014
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Emanuel Deyer; Master Builder
Article by David Hoffman, Board Secretary
Research compiled by (Ken) Kreiner, Manheim Historical Society
"Perhaps you have read the inscription on Old Zion’s balcony. It is written in German fracture script and lists the name “Emanuel Deyer” and the date “October the 2nd 1813". On that Sunday the dedication service for the new brick church building took place and Emanuel was honored as the master builder.
Emanuel was born in 1760, the son of immigrant parents from central Europe. He learned the cabinetry trade from his father and went into the family business of building cabinets and furniture. In 1783, he and Sophia Gerhard were married by Henry Muhlenberg the patron and organizer of the Lutheran Church in North America. They had “at least” eight children some of whom also joined the family business of construction. In ( … ) they constructed an impressive Georgian dwelling for Emanuel and Sophia which stands today at (…) South Main Street in Manheim. In (…) Emanuel and his son George accepted the contract from Royer’s Church in Brickerville to build a new modern brick structure overlooking the Brubaker Valley. They used a classic square footprint with a wine glass pulpit and balconies on three sides. The arched windows mirrored the arched ceiling which gave the church excellent acoustics. The carved draped doorway and fluted columns inside made the building a true masterpiece, It was the newest architectural style and the crowning glory of a poor country congregation.
Emanuel and his sons continued to build furniture and home interiors until his death in 1836. He is buried in the Lutheran Cemetery in Manheim."
The Zion Reformed Church in Brickerville,PA was built in 1813 by Emanuel Deyer.
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The Lancaster Streetscape Historic Architecture of Lancaster, PA by Lee J. Stoltzfus included material and photos of this church.
Below: The Zion Reformed Church (Old Zion), Brickerville. Built in 1813 by Emanuel Deyer.
Image: OldZionChurch.org
Below: Wineglass pulpit in Zion Reformed Church, Brickerville.
Image: BubbDeisgn, Facebook.
