The furniture commissioned for Millford, located in Sumter County, SC, represent the largest documented commission for Duncan Phyfe in his almost 60 years of business as a cabinetmaker. A poor immigrant when he arrived in America, Phyfe use his exceptional talent and hard work to build a renowned furniture business. Born Duncan Fife near Loch Fannich, Scotland, he immigrated with his family to Albany, NY, in 1784 and served as a cabinetmaker’s apprentice. He moved to New York City in 1791, opening his own business in 1794. By 1839, Phyfe was in in the twilight of his career and in partnership with his son under the name Duncan Phyfe & Son.

Millford was constructed between 1839 and 1841 for John Laurence Manning and his wife, Susan Hampton Manning, members of two prominent South Carolina families. The property was always intended to be a showplace and reflect the Mannings’ wealth and status. Its construction was made possible by profits from the sale of sugar harvested by enslaved labor on their Louisiana plantations.

This Grecian couch was one of four made by Phyfe & Son for Millford’s Entrance Hall. Each of the couches (along with matching armchairs) were originally upholstered in tufted faux-leather fabric with decorative brass tacks. Later campaigns of upholstery were removed on this example and it was reupholstered in 2020 based on physical evidence found during an investigation of the frame to evoke a Manning-era appearance.