Old Hickory Wide Arm Settee
View Similar Items
Old Hickory Wide Arm Settee
About the Item
- Creator:Old Hickory Furniture Company (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.5 in (64.77 cm)Width: 55 in (139.7 cm)Depth: 31 in (78.74 cm)Seat Height: 15 in (38.1 cm)
- Style:Adirondack (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1945
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Damariscotta, ME
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU102401041386
Old Hickory Furniture Company
In the early 1890s, before his Old Hickory Furniture Company was formally incorporated, Billy Richardson was selling handmade rocking chairs in the town square of Martinsville, Indiana. His designs used hickory saplings that were the perfect combination of pliable and durable, making them ideal for creating graceful, comfortable and long-lasting furniture. This style of “twig furniture” or “rustic furniture” had become popular with the romanticization of escaping to nature in the 19th century, particularly in the Appalachian Mountains.
Reportedly, a young Richardson and his father crafted seating for president Andrew Jackson, nicknamed “Old Hickory,” for use at his Tennessee home, the Hermitage. By the end of the 19th century, Billy Richardson’s furniture had attracted such a fan base that he joined forces with other craftspeople in the area and they convened to work in an empty church, producing hickory sapling furniture full-time. Old Hickory was officially founded in 1899 and began shipping its signature hickory sapling seating and tables across the country.
Some of the company’s earliest customers were America’s National Parks, where Old Hickory’s homespun style of wooden furniture fit right in and turned out to be a sound investment. At Yellowstone National Park’s Old Faithful Inn and Glacier National Park’s Lake McDonald Lodge, the Old Hickory seating purchased in the early 1900s remains in use to this day.
That’s not to say the company hasn’t adapted over its century-plus lifetime. A look at Old Hickory’s archive is something of a trip through American furniture styles of the past century. There are knotted designs from the 1930s, chaises made of wicker (a versatile and long-lasting natural material) that recall early-20th-century resort style and Mission-style sets reminiscent of the Arts and Crafts movement.
In the 1940s, Old Hickory tapped designer Russel Wright to lend his eye to the brand. Wright’s streamlined designs married Old Hickory’s rustic sensibility with a modern aesthetic. After closing in 1978, the company underwent two acquisitions and was moved from Martinsville to Shelbyville, Indiana, where it now operates. Today, Old Hickory continues to offer an array of furniture and home accessories, primarily in the widely loved style with which it began.
Find a range of Old Hickory Furniture Company armchairs, tables and other items for sale on 1stDibs.
- Old Hickory Barrel-Back SetteeBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Houston, TXOld Hickory barrel-back settee with a bent hickory frame and a woven splint seat and back. Note: Regional differences in humidity and climate during shipp...Category
Mid-20th Century American Rustic Benches
MaterialsHickory
- Rustic Old Hickory Wood and Tan Leather SetteeBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in New York, NYRustic Old Hickory settee / sofa with a hickory wood frame containing a closed cabinet with iron hinges and latch in the right armrest and an open cabinet with two shelves in the lef...Category
20th Century Unknown Rustic Settees
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood, Leather, Hickory
- Old Hickory Child's Bench With Suede SeatBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis fun handmade Old Hickory child's bench with a suede seat. It has been newly upholstered in leather.Category
Vintage 1940s American Adirondack Benches
MaterialsHickory
$950 Sale Price26% Off - Old Hickory Co. BenchBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in Los Angeles, CAStamped Old "Hickory Martinsville, Indiana" bench with a cutout carrier on top. It is stamped on underside of the top of bench. The condition is very good.Category
Mid-20th Century American Country Benches
MaterialsHickory
$875 Sale Price26% Off - Rustic Old Hickory Sofa with Forest PrintBy Old Hickory Furniture CompanyLocated in New York, NYRustic Old Hickory style (20th century) sofa / settee with spindle design sides, back, and base with 6 forest print upholstered cushions (brass Old Hicko...Category
20th Century American Rustic Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- 19th Century French Empire Reclining Arm Bench Recamier Carved Old DistressedBy Baker Furniture CompanyLocated in Rockaway, NJ19th Century French Empire reclining arm bench recamier carved old distressed finish.Category
Antique 19th Century French French Provincial Settees
MaterialsUpholstery, Mahogany