The Empire Furniture Company was founded during the 19th century; since its original founding in the 1800s, the company changed hands (and names) several times. The now-defunct company is well-known for its durable craftsmanship and special focus on replicating 18th century and colonial styles of furniture.
About Empire Furniture Company
Empire Furniture Company is no longer in business. The company’s vintage and antique pieces are well-known for their durability, their use of high quality cherry and mahogany wood, and their distinct 18th century and colonial America inspired designs. The company’s furniture can be found secondhand under several different names, thanks to the fact that the company was re-branded several times during its lifespan.
Empire Furniture Company History
The original Empire Furniture Company was founded at an unknown date in the late 19th century. It was founded in Huntington, West Virginia. Of course, Huntington’s location on the Ohio River and near the Kentucky and Ohio border likely aided the furniture company in meeting the region’s commercial needs.
In 1905, the Empire Furniture Company was purchased by a businessman named C. Lloyd Ritter. Ritter would eventually rename the company Huntington Furniture Corp during the late 1930s, before changing it again in 1946 to “Georgetown Galleries.”
During the company’s heyday, it sold several million dollars worth of furniture a year to both national and international customers. The company began producing furniture pieces for every room in the home, allowing it to expand its product line and customer base. The plants in Huntington West Virginia employed between 175-200 workers in its heyday.
However, by the 1950s, the company had fallen on hard financial times and reduced production to almost zero. In 1953, the company was declared bankrupt and closed for good.
Empire Furniture Company Products
The Empire Furniture Company produced a wide range of products during its decades-long operations. The type of products produced gradually increased as the years passed, and the company was able to expand its warehouses and manufacturing lines to allow for a broader range of designs. All of the designs were created with 18th century and colonial styles in mind; materials ranged from mahogany and cherry to walnut, particularly in the later years.
An Empire Furniture Company Buffet, for instance, likely features solid cherry drawers, dovetailing and even pin and mortised joints.
Likewise, most of their mahogany furniture, like an Empire Furniture china cabinet, features glazed glass doors and really nice cabinet-made features. Of course, you will likely see incredible thick cherry and mahogany tops and bracket style feet.
Empire Furniture Value
Empire Furniture, while mostly fading into obscurity today, still can bring a bit of value on today’s market. Because Georgetown Galleries has slightly more name recognition, Empire Furniture gains from this association.
Empire dining room furniture, like tables, chairs, hutches and servers, tend to be the most commonly found Empire Company pieces. Often, this fine solid wood furniture looks near to new even though it is more than half a century old. Indeed, solid wood furniture from this period tends to last much longer than anything that can be purchased today.
Of course, Empire Bedroom furniture tends to show similar signs of quality and unique styles. Of course, you will find a range of styles that may have been popular in the 1930’s and before. So, you may find Art Deco styles, or more traditional 18th Century revival bedroom furniture by Empire. Like other reproduction companies, like Baker Furniture or Kittinger Furniture, Empire mostly kept to traditional designs with slight modifications and adaptations.
However, you most likely will feel the quality in the weight of Empire Dressers, beds and vanities.
Tips For Purchasing Empire Furniture Company Products
If you are interested in purchasing Empire Furniture Company products, you should consider the following tips that will help you purchase authentic items at reasonable prices.
Tip: Understand how the different company maker’s marks work
The exact maker’s mark on the furniture you would like to purchase can help you narrow down its production date. If the furniture says Empire Furniture Company, it was made before the late 1930s; if it says Huntington Furniture Corp, it was made sometime between the late 1930s and 1946; and if it has Georgetown Galleries, it is a piece from 1946 through 1963.
Tip: Mahogany and walnut pieces are more valuable than cherry.
In the context of Empire Furniture Company pieces, their antique mahogany and cherry wood furniture is going to be worth more than their later pieces which were often made with walnut. If the piece you want to buy is made from walnut but still retains a high price, consider haggling or opt to wait for a more reasonable offer.
Remember to keep this guide in mind when shopping for Empire Furniture Company pieces.
Find the best prices on Empire Furniture Company items, Don’t hesitate! Or someone else will snag your beautiful Empire Furniture Company from you today!
If you would like to learn more about this company, please visit our video page.