Speaker Nicholas Longworth’s gavel is the oldest example in the House Collection. The eyebolt on the handle’s end was handy for hanging the gavel on a nail when it wasn’t in use. Beginning at the turn of the century, gavels were made in the Capitol, and Speakers expected to use many over the course of a lively congressional session. The wear marks on this example indicate that it was a hardworking tool. Longworth signed the mallet’s head, probably when he presented it as a souvenir.
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “Gavel of Speaker Nicholas Longworth,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2010/2010-016-001/ (November 13, 2026)
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