Furnishing A Nation:
The Story of Furniture Making in Martinsville-Henry County
History Timeline
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In 1901, J.D. Bassett, Sr., at the age of 35, saw the nearly unlimited future in Southern furniture manufacturing. He and his brother and brother-in-law pooled their entire resources, totaling $27,500, and converted their sawmill business into a furniture factory. From this small beginning, the Bassett Furniture Industries grew over the next 100 years into a publicly traded company with 2008 sales topping $288 million.
Five years later in 1906, American Furniture Company was founded by two Martinsville tobacco men, Ancil Witten and Charles Keesee. With 12 other local business leaders, these men raised an original capitalization of $30,000. The company has grown substantially and first surpassed $100 million in sales in 1989. Today, the company specializes in producing furniture for the hotel and healthcare industries, and operates under the name American of Martinsville. Open a dresser drawer the next time you stay in a hotel and, chances are, you'll see an American of Martinsville logo.
The first factory of Bassett Furniture Industries and many of its first employees. J.D. Bassett, Sr., founder of the company is seated in the third row, third from left. At his left, with the little girl on his lap, is C.C. Bassett, brother of J.D. Bassett and the company’s first secretary-treasurer; and in the same row, fifth from the right is R.L. Stone, the first vice president. The small boy in the front row, third from left is W.M. Bassett, who would later become CEO.
Hooker Furniture Company was started in 1924 on donated land and $28,000 in donations from local townspeople. The money was a direct gift - local people received no stock, not so much as a receipt in return. What they bought was 29-year-old J. Clyde Hooker's promise of jobs and increased payrolls for the citizens of Martinsville. The young man didn't let the city down. Today, Hooker Furniture's payroll exceeds $40 million annually. Company employees own, as a group, in excess of 30% of the company through its Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
When Richard P. Gravely wanted to start Gravely Furniture Company in 1926, people already had seen how successful furniture companies could be. He raised his necessary $100,000 capitalization in 48 hours. By the 1960s, Gravely added to its line of fine quality case goods and began producing wall and floor clocks. Soon they became known as the world's leading producer of grandfather clocks. It was here that Ridgeway Clocks was born.
The rise of these furniture giants sparked a whole host of other companies forming to support the furniture industry - from mirror plants to tool companies that supplied machine tools to the industry. The Martinsville-Henry County furniture legacy continues today offering some serious discount shopping thanks to famous names like American, Bassett, Hooker, Stanley and more now featured in numerous furniture specialty shops.
Build a Chair
and your very own furniture legacy.
Celebrate our deep roots in furniture by building your very own child size chair and creating your very own furniture legacy. Chair kits, designed by local resident Garfid Gauldin, a former Hooker Furniture employee, are available at the Southern Virginia Artisan Center. Build your chair and personalize it any way you like with stain, paint and possibly a scene from your favorite book. Chairs are very sturdy and would be a great gift for any child.
Kits are available in various wood types; Poplar, Oak, Maple and Cherry and range in price from $40 to $50.
Make plans to pick up your chair kit today!
