Lexington Hearth Federal Wood Mantel Shelf

Dentil molding in composite wood veneer, 6.5 inches deep

The Lexington Hearth Federal is a wall-mounted mantel shelf made from composite wood veneer, with dentil molding and refined colonial detail. It is not solid lumber, which is why it costs a fraction of a cast or hardwood mantel of the same size, and it carries the same milled detail on every exposed edge. The dentil course along the underside is the whole character of this mantel, and it is also why Lexington will not cut it to a custom length: the tooth spacing has to come out even.

6.5 inches deep, in 48, 60 and 72 inches

The depth is the same in every length. Size it from the firebox opening plus the reveal you want on each side, not from the width of the wall.

It weighs 13, 16 and 20 pounds, shortest length to longest, light enough for a two-person install

The mounting bracket and six fasteners are in the box, and the bracket has to land on framing rather than on drywall anchors alone.

It is combustible, so your fireplace manual sets the height, not the mantel

Composite wood veneer is combustible, the same as solid wood. Find the mantel clearance in your fireplace manual before you measure anything. If that clearance puts the shelf higher than you want it, or you are mounting a television above the fireplace, we sell the same profile cast in Burncrete: the Federal Non-Combustible Mantel Shelf. In Lexington's own words the non-combustible option "allows for closer placement to heat sources, making it an excellent choice for safely mounting a TV above the fireplace."

Best for colonial, Federal and Georgian rooms, and for period restorations

If your house has dentil molding at the cornice, picture rails, or six-panel doors, the Federal is the mantel that matches rather than merely coexists. It is a genuinely historical profile, which cuts both ways: in a contemporary room it will look like a costume. At 6.5 inches it is on the shallow side, so it suits a wall where the shelf is there to finish the fireplace rather than to hold much. Fixed lengths only, for the reason above.

Check the finish on a sample, because the cost comes back to you

Cherry, Luna and Honey Oak all read differently on a wall than on a screen. We sell a Commonwealth color sample, and what you pay for it is credited back when you order the mantel. If you are finishing it yourself, order Unfinished and test your stain on the sample rather than on the mantel.