A carpet runner in a hall or on a staircase provides a colorful accent in a period home. This ingrain carpet runner was woven in New York in 1841.

Wall to wall ingrain carpet and a matching carpet runner were popular in middle-class homes in 18th and 19th century America. In many middle class homes of the 1800s at least one room had ingrain carpet and a carpet runner in their halls or on their stairs. 

An ingrain carpet is a flat, woven, wool carpet made of yarn that is dyed before weaving. The wool is then woven on a jacquard loom accommodating up to six colored weft threads. It is woven to show a different pattern on each side, as a result it is reversible.

This American ingrain carpet runner was woven in 1841 and used in a family home in Pompey, New York. The carpet runner measures 16 feet long and 33 inches wide. The carpet runner was woven with red, green, brown and natural color wools. These colorful wools were sheered from sheep raised by by Abigail Safford in Pompey, N.Y. about 1837. The weavers were Joseph J. Davidson and John M. Davidson.

The original receipt from the weavers for the weaving and coloring of the carpet runner reads:

Rec.d of D.D. Safford fifteen dollars and thirty one cents for weaving and colouring an Ingrain Carpet. Ithaca Aug. 6, 1841 - Joseph J. Davidson and John M. Davidson.

Close-up of carpet runner.