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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.

Average Sold Price
$2,113
Materials
Related Creators
Old Hickory Tannery Regency Style Leather Bar Stool
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Old Hickory Tannery Regency Style leather bar stool. Priced Each. Additional information: Materials: Leather Color: Black Brand: Old Hickory Furniture Co. Designer: Old Hickory Furniture Company...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Regency Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Leather

Forsyth x Old Hickory Butte Bench with Custom California Sheepskin Cushion
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
Forsyth X Old Hickory butte bench with custom California sheepskin cushion and Loro Piana buffalo leather When the Old Hickory Furniture Compan...
Category

2010s American Modern Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Sheepskin, Hickory, Leather

Rustic Old Hickory Dinette Set, American Midcentury, circa 1950
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in San Francisco, CA
A rustic dinette set, consisting of a table and four matching side chairs with unusual and unique woven rope back detail. Original branding maker mark of Old Hickory Martinsville IN...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Rustic Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Hickory

Old Hickory Tall-Back Paddle-Arm Chair W/Slat Seats
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Old Hickory tall-back paddle-arm chair with slat seat and back, circa 1940. Stamped Old Hickory Furniture Co., Martinsville, in this side chair i...
Category

1940s American Adirondack Vintage Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Wood

Forsyth X Old Hickory Butte Chair and Ottoman with Custom Sheepskin Cushions
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
Forsyth X Old Hickory butte chair and ottoman with custom California sheepskin cushions and Loro Piana buffalo leather. When th...
Category

2010s American Modern Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Sheepskin, Hickory, Leather

Vintage Adirondack Mirror by Old Hickory, Multiple Mirrors Available
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Vintage Adirondack mirror, by Old Hickory, with 22.5" x 35" inset mirror. The mirror can be hung vertically or horizontally 12 mirrors availab...
Category

Late 20th Century American Adirondack Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Antique Old Hickory Furniture Rocking Arm Chair No. 21 Rocker Adirondack Lodge
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in Dayton, OH
"Antique circa 1930s #21 rocking chair by Old Hickory Furniture Company of Martinsville, Indiana. Features a primitive Adirondack style with f...
Category

1930s Adirondack Vintage Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Rattan, Hardwood

Antique Arts & Crafts Old Hickory Stick Form Rocking Chair, Signed, c1920
By Old Hickory Furniture Company
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Arts and Crafts rocking chair by Old Hickory offers stick form construction with thatch seat, maker signed, c1920 ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Old Hickory Furniture Company

Materials

Wood

Browse all Furniture from Old Hickory Furniture Company
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Old Hickory Furniture Company furniture for sale on 1stDibs

Furniture from the Old Hickory Furniture Company are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive objects are often made of wood and designed with extraordinary care. In our collection of Old Hickory Furniture Company furniture, there are many options to choose from, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. There are 42 vintage versions of these items in stock, while there is 0 modern edition to choose from as well. Many customers also consider furniture by Herman de Vries, A. Brandt Ranch Oak Furniture and H.T. Cushman Manufacturing Company. Prices for furniture from the Old Hickory Furniture Company can vary depending upon size, time period and other attributes. The price for these items starts at $600 and tops out at $32,500, while pieces like these can sell for $3,600 on average..

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