Old Drexel Furniture

Yes, Drexel Furniture and Drexel Heritage are the same company. While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer was actually established in the early 1900s in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Drexel changed hands and visions throughout the years. It was managed by one of the original partners — Samuel Huffman — until 1935, at which time his son Robert O. Huffman took over as president. It was then that the company began to expand, with several acquisitions of competitors in the 1950s, including Morganton, Table Rock Furniture, the Heritage Furniture Co.

During the 1960s, after being acquired by the Furnishings Group of Champion International, the company’s name was changed to Drexel Heritage. In 2018, the Heritage Home Group, which was formed years earlier by KPS Capital Partners when it acquired Drexel Heritage and other manufacturers such as Lane and Broyhill, filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations. Production of Drexel furniture never resumed.

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To identify Drexel furniture, search your piece for maker's markings. They may be on the back or base, inside of a drawer or under a tabletop or seat. Most pieces will display the Drexel brand name. Other information is often included in the stamp. For example, you will sometimes see the date of production listed either backward or forward and/or a style or collection name. By looking up this information in trusted online resources, you can learn more about your piece. An alternative approach is to have a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer inspect your furniture. Explore a diverse assortment of Drexel furniture on 1stDibs.

No, Drexel furniture is not still in business. In 2014, the last Drexel Heritage plant in Morganton, North Carolina, reportedly closed its doors. The company was purchased by United Furniture and rebranded as Drexel in 2017. Then, in 2018, United Furniture's parent company, Heritage Home Group, filed for bankruptcy, and Drexel ceased production. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Drexel furniture.

Yes, Drexel Furniture is good quality, and owing to the commendable level of craftsmanship that characterizes the company's work, Drexel's furnishings typically retain or increase in value over time. Vintage Drexel dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design.

The North Carolina manufacturer initially became known for pieces inspired by historic European furniture. In the postwar era, Drexel adapted to changing tastes and 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. The Profile and Projection collections of the period, designed with sculptural shapes by John Van Koert, also see demand on today’s secondary market. 

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Drexel Heritage no longer makes furniture and the company has gone out of business. The last company to own Drexel was Heritage Home Group who filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018. It has since gone out of business and sold its headquarters and showroom. Shop a collection of authentic Drexel furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.