With the manufacturer’s success - spurred by its embrace of advertising in home and garden magazines - it opened more factories in both North and South Carolina. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co. It was managed by one of the original partners - Samuel Huffman - until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. In the 1970s, Drexel introduced high-end furniture in a Mediterranean style.ĭrexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. In the postwar era, Drexel embraced the clean lines of mid-century modernism with the Declaration collection designed by Stewart MacDougall and Kipp Stewart that featured elegant credenzas and more made in walnut and the Profile and Projection collections designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert. Always ready to adapt to new customer demands, during World War II, Drexel built a sturdy desk designed especially for General Douglas MacArthur.
Others replicated the ornate details of 18th-century chinoiserie or the embellishments of Queen Anne furniture.
This included making pieces inspired by historic European furniture, like the popular French provincial–style Touraine bedroom and dining group that borrowed its curves from Louis XV-era furniture.
This focus on design, which few other furniture companies were committing to at the time, allowed Drexel to respond to a variety of new and traditional tastes. One of Drexel’s early innovations was to employ staff designers, something the company initiated in the 1930s. The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50. In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape. Today, Drexel Heritage Furniture Industries, Inc is one of the leading furniture manufacturers in the world.". was based in High Point and employed 1,300 workers across the state. In 1994, Drexel Heritage maintained ten factories in North Carolina and one in South Carolina. State Department, and government agencies across the globe. Drexel maintained partnerships with various hotels, the U.S. In 1986, Drexel Heritage became a branch of Masco Corporation, which became one of the country’s biggest furniture manufacturers by the late 1980s.įor many decades Drexel manufactured and sold furniture in the U.S. In 1977 Drexel Heritage was sold to investment bank Dominick International Corporation and retail sales increased drastically. In 1971 Drexel expanded its product line once again to include high-end Mediterranean style furniture and furniture for interior living space. Plywood Champion Papers purchased Drexel Enterprises, and the company became Drexel Heritage Furnishings, Inc. In 1960, Drexel Furniture became Drexel Enterprises, Inc., and in 1961, the company merged with Southern Desk Company to produce furniture and supplies for libraries, schools, and churches. Furniture design also included Italian styles in addition to carpets and accessories. By 1957, Drexel employed 2,300 workers, and its furniture was sold nationwide in approximately 2,500 stores.īy the late 1960s, the company manufactured laboratory, dormitory and hospital furniture and increased sales even more. In 1951, for instance, Drexel acquired Table Rock Furniture and Heritage Furniture Company, and in 1956, Morganton Furniture Company. In the process, the company had partnered with other manufacturers to create new product lines. By 1950, Drexel had grown from a small factory of fifty workers who made dressers and washstands to being a leading manufacturer in traditional and modern furniture. The younger Huffman made several changes in operations, including manufacturing medium-priced furniture instead of low-priced and spending more on advertising. By 1935, Sam Huffman died, and his son Robert O.
Although Samuel Huffman managed the enterprise, he and five other men founded the business with an investment of $14,000. Item number 493-312-6.ĭrexel Furniture Company was established 1903 in Drexel, North Carolina. Made of walnut featuring two drawers with paneled fronts, brass knocker pulls, and turned bun feet. "Vintage Hispana Drexel Heritage low chest, nightstand or side table, circa 1960s.