Caroline Harrison First Spouse Gold Coin

Caroline Lavinia Scott was born October 1, 1832, in Oxford, Ohio. Probably her favorite hobby was painting, including painting china. This became one of her passions when she was teaching ceramic painting at her church.

As first lady, Caroline Harrison began the effort to organize White House china. She grouped pieces from past presidents into a collection that could later be displayed. This involved finding the pieces and identifying them, then having a special china cabinet made to both display and store the collection.

Alongside her German teacher, Paul Putzki, she taught Washington women and their daughters to paint on china. She painted a “White House Orchid” with water colors and dedicated it to “mothers, wives, and daughters of America.”

Reverse Design

The design shows Caroline Harrison’s love of flowers and painting through the flowers of an orchid plant and two paint brushes. She used her brushes and paints to decorate White House pieces such as candlesticks, milk sets, and platters.

She also painted on china that belonged to women in Washington who wanted a memento of the White House. Her signature was a tiny four-leaf clover.