In 1793, Odessa cabinetmaker John Janvier signed and dated this pair of chests, each of which descended independently through the family of William Corbit of Odessa and builder of the finest 18th century house in Delaware. The “pr. of bereaus Mahogy,” highly valued at $25, were listed in Corbit’s 1818 estate inventory and in an 1845 division of his furniture by his two surviving children. This rare pair of chests embodies the high quality cabinetmaking of this accomplished and innovative maker. Born into a large French-American family that had settled in the New Castle, DE, area, John apprenticed in Philadelphia, where more Janviers lived. A few years after establishing a shop in Elkton, MD, John married, returned to Odessa, built a house a half-mile away from Corbit’s house of 1774, and raised a family. Two of his sons and a nephew also made high-quality furniture, some of which is indistinguishable from the patriarch’s. Separating this furniture from fine Philadelphia work requires observing small details and patterns of workmanship. Although the small hinterland village of Odessa is linked to Philadelphia by the Delaware River (about a 50-mile journey), the question of why such a talented artisan remained in Odessa is a mystery. Janvier’s shop served only nearby clientele. Through fortunate historical circumstances, many of the furnishings and documentary evidence of the Corbit house and the c. 1771 David Wilson house next door survive and are now shown in the houses. The Janvier story enlightens our understandings of the transfers of craft knowledge between generations and from regional centers to hinterlands. It raises such questions as why an obviously talented craftsman would choose modest living circumstances over the financial benefits of work in an urban center. There are no ready answers, but the absence of much change in Odessa since 1800 and the remarkably interwoven and documented provenances Historic Odessa collections make it attractive material to study.