This imposing cupboard, with a Grobb family provenance, was likely made by John Grobb, one of the Niagara Region’s more prominent cabinetmakers. The dramatic surface treatment, intended to simulate curly maple, was achieved by burning cords that had been soaked in tar and applying them to the wood surface. It is one of at least two Niagara pieces with this type of finish. The Grobbs were among the first settlers in Lincoln County and the form of this cupboard strongly mirrors their Pennsylvania roots.