There are still many thriving furniture companies manufacturing their wares in the United States, but it's a shadow of the industry it was a century or more ago. One city had such a concentration of furniture manufacturing in the 19th century that it earned the moniker "Furniture City" - do you know which city?
If you answered Grand Rapids, Michigan - pat yourself on the back and treat yourself to a cookie. Grand Rapids was the first center of mass-produced and fine furniture in North America, partly due to its proximity to lumber. Furniture markets, attended by buyers from around the world, began in Grand Rapids in 1878 and lasted into the 1960s.
Grand Rapids' furniture prominence is now diminished but it is still an important part of the city's economy. It houses five of the world's leading office furniture companies (such as Steelcase) as well as fine furniture companies (like Kindel who has been in the city for 100 years).
If you're visiting Grand Rapids, be sure to check out the Furniture City exhibit at the Grand Rapids Museum which includes information about the history of the local furniture industry, over 120 pieces of locally made furniture from the 1840s onward and a recreation of the Phoenix Furniture Factory.
Learn more:
• Grand Rapids Furniture: The Story of America's Furniture City by Christian G. Carron (1998)
• Grand Times in Grand Rapids: Pieces of Furniture City History by Gordon Beld (2012)
• Grand Rapids, Michigan: The Furniture City on MidWest Guest
• Furniture Exhibition Buildings in Grand Rapids on Grand Rapids History
(Images: 1. Shutterstock 2. Library of Congress 3. Library of Congress)
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(Patting myself on the back) How could you forget Herman Miller??? Well, Zeeland to be exact but it is just outside of Grand Rapids.
Yay! My backyard! With all these recent furniture/design history posts, I've wondered if you'd highlight the Grand Rapids area.
hooray for gr!
After living only 90 minutes away from Grand Rapids my entire life, it was no wonder this came easily. What is more astonishing is that my friend's Grandpa was a pioneer in this business that catapulted Grand Rapids as the Furniture capital. The biggest coincidence is I just got back from the Herman Miller GreenHouse in Holland, Mi. How wonderful!
I feel lucky to live 15 minutes from The Herman Miller Outlet...just sayin... :)
Grand Rapids is great! Take for example Art Prize, which is happening now...http://www.artprize.org/
I escaped West Michigan 30 years ago and would never go back. My brother still lives there, though, and when I was home for my father's funeral, my brother took me into GR for several meals. Parts of the city are very urban chic now, reflecting the college population I presume. But my liberal soul was uncomfortable with the uber-conservative attitudes shown there. (Nowhere else in my life have I seen stores with hours posted that included "Closed Sunday for God and Grandchildren.") Of course, that's attractive to some people, just not to me.
Dang. I would have guessed High Point, NC.
To residents of Bloomington, IN, it's well known that the Showers Brothers Furniture Company produced 50-60% of all US made furniture in the 1920's.
http://www.bloomingpedia.org/wiki/Showers_Brothers_Furniture
http://bloomington.in.gov/media/media/application/pdf/5461.pdf
Unfortunately, the company shut down in the 50's and there are only a few buildings left from the original factory campus.
Grand Rapids is a great city. I was born and raised in GR and recently moved back to GR from living in Florida for 4 years. Grand Rapids everything. The only thing Florida up on GR is weather.
Grand Rapids is a great midwestern city!
Hickory, NC (near High Point) is the furniture capital of the world. Or at least it was about 15 years ago when my family lived there.