The original clawfoot tub in the farmhouse was the main bathtub in the home from the late 1930s until 2017, when Sally Lou Fitzhugh had her stroke and was unable to get in and out of the tub anymore. It was painted pink, and for most of our lives it had been boxed in by a plywood shell when clawfoot tubs went out of fashion and Sallie Virginia French Fitzhugh needed a hand bar to get in and out of the tub. As children, we loved to take bubble baths in the tub — a luxury we never got to enjoy at home. Later we tell the story how, after the 2011 earthquake knocked the ground wires loose in the farmhouse, Aunt Sally Lou got into the bathtub and felt the tingle of electrical current passing through the copper pipes into the cast iron tub! The funny part of the story was that after that first shock, ASL attempted to get in the tub yet AGAIN! This tells you everything you need to know about our Aunt Sally Lou — she was fearless and lacking a little common sense, but she had a great sense of humor. After all, she’s the one who told us the story, and she never heard the end of it.

That pink bathtub had been in the home for almost 100 years, and after many years of use by six generations, its age showed. We searched high and low for locations where we could get the tub re-enameled but soon learned the chemicals to do so had been banned by the EPA. Epoxy finishes flake and will not last long term, paint was a nonstarter, and so we decided to hunt down a replacement tub.

After several weeks of hunting, I, Jenny Smith, found this questionable image of a clawfoot tub on Facebook marketplace:

It was unclear what state the tub was in, so I messaged the owner for more images and received these:

The tub was black, which we wanted, and it came with the shower kit so the tub could be used as a shower — a first for the farmhouse. By conversing with the owner, I learned the tub had been in a historic home located at 250 Prince George Street, Annapolis, MD 21401, just steps away from the Maryland State Capitol. The Fisher Family, who own this historic home listed on the National Register of Historic Homes, had this bathtub refinished before the EPA ban, which meant the finish would last a long time yet and it was perfect for us. Rosemary Fisher told me that her children had been using the tub until a recent remodel, and she was looking for the right place for the tub and the antique pedestal sink they’d also removed for the remodel. When we went to pick up the bathtub and sink, Rosemary kindly took Jared and me on a tour of the home, which, if memory serves, was built in three stages. We began at the rear of the house in the newer dining room that had gorgeous wood paneling, visited the next stage gorgeous galley kitchen, and then visited all three floors of the original part of the home which was lovingly restored and filled with antiques. I particularly remember a four poster bed with lace canopy and secretary style curio cabinet.

Fittingly, the tub was made in Baltimore by the Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Company. It’s dated 6-15-38, which puts it at exactly the right date for our home. Additionally, this made in the USA tub features the eagle claw style feet, an Americanization of the popular dragon claw gripping a ball — a design borrowed from Chinese influences popular at the time. The outside of the tub and feet were painted black when it was refinished by the Fishers. The new tub is slightly smaller than our old tub at 4.5 feet.

Finally in June 2024, we were finishing the upstairs bathroom and were able to begin painting the tub so it could move into its new home. Sydney and Jared Smith sanded all the surface rust off the tub, and Jenny gave the tub a fresh coat of paint.

We used spray paint for the feet and tub exterior, careful not to get paint on the legs or fittings or enamel interior. We painted the feet gold and the exterior flat black. We couldn’t get the feet off to paint them seperately, so we relied on painter’s tape to help us get a good finish. Strong neighbors Zach and Bryce Burgin carried the tub up the stairs to its new home in the bathroom tiled by contractor Ricky Abel and plumbed by Jared Smith and David Kopp of Hartwood Plumbing.