Gettysburg furniture companies
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The Gettysburg furniture companies were the largest manufacturing concern and major employeer in Adams County, Pennsylvania, from the early 1900's to the 1950's.
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[edit] Foundations
In 1901 in Orrtanna, Levi Starner [1] and his son Emory operated a small furniture plant known as the Orrtanna Manufacturing Company. In 1902 they joined four men in Gettysburg to purchase land and build a factory, chartered as the Gettysburg Manufacturing Company
[edit] Gettysburg Manufacturing Company
Starting operations in July 1902, the company manufactured eight or more styles, each of which combined buffets, sideboards, hall racks and washstands, mainly in oak. A few months after starting production, Levi Starner was killed in an industrial accident. In the fall of 1904 the four Gettysburg entrepreneurs turned over their assets to an assignee, and after a sale in December 1904 the four business men involved in the 1902 venture purchased the factory and materials. Only two of these men stayed on board and found Michael Engle of York, Pennsylvania to operate the factory.
In April of 1905 the Engle Furniture Company was chartered at a separate factory site. The plant commenced making dressers and later added chiffoniers, buffets, sideboards and library tables; using oak and mahogany.
[edit] Reaser Furniture Company
In May 1907 Engle transferred his stock in the Gettysburg Manufacturing Company to Claton S. Reaser, also from York County. The Engle Furniture Company became the Reaser Furniture Company. The company now produced all the furniture components for modern living, except the top of the sideboard or buffet. In total, over 40 styles were being made in addition to hand-carved pieces. In May 1917 the joint venture Stouck-Reaser Company filed documents for incorporation to buy, sell and deal in wholesale lumber products [2].
In April 1918, another industrial accident claimed the life of Clayton S. Reaser. He was replaced as general manager by M.C. Jones, a former director and officer of the Hanover Cabinet Company; and Arthur H. Reeser was elected president of the Gettysburg Manufacturing Company until it closed in the 1960's.
In 1920 the Gettysburg Panel Company was formed to be able to provide an adequate supply of veneer panels for the other firms. The 1923 production totaled almost 71,000 pieces of furniture. In 1927 there were 522 employees in the three plants: 261 in Gettysburg; 153 in Reaser and 108 in Panel.
In 1923, the Gettysburg Chair Company was chartered to supply chairs that the local factories needed to complete their bedroom and dining room suites.
[edit] Decline
After World War II, the developing styles of modern America and the classic wooden lines of Gettysburg lead to a quickening fall-off in sales levels. In November of 1951 the manufacturing assets of all the companies, except Stouck-Reeser, were sold to Sidney G. Rose of Cincinnati [3]. The Gettysburg Furniture Company factory was closed in 1960, becoming a warehouse and distribution point for Rose's other furniture factories outside Pennsylvania [4][5]
[edit] References
- ^ Levi Starner
- ^ http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:oYF9e0iCBdcJ:www.newspaperarchive.com/newspapers1/na0008/319852/3457433.html+%22Stouck-Reaser%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=safari
- ^ http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:_2VrmLHazVMJ:www.newspaperarchive.com/newspapers1/na0002/9376/88813.html+%22Hanover+Cabinet+Company%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&client=safari
- ^ adamscohistory
- ^ http://209.85.129.104/search?q=cache:nBxouQU83qsJ:www.probaseballarchive.com/Newspapers/na0002/26983/256794.html+%22gettysburg+furniture+company%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=41&client=safari
