Pennsylvania House Furniture: Is it Good Quality?
In this video, we discuss the ins and outs of Pennsylvania House Furniture. We briefly discuss the history of Pennsylvania House Furniture. Also, we look at some of the styles that made the company great!
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Pennsylvania House Furniture: Is it Good quality?
Generally, Pennsylvania House Furniture is considered an excellent furniture brand. In its heyday, the company sold very nice quality cherry, oak and maple furniture. Of course, they used good materials, beautiful finishes and nice construction methods.
So, yes, vintage Pennsylvania House shows very good quality.
When you open a drawer in a Pennsylvania House dresser, you no doubt will see dove-tailed construction. Also, while the drawer faces might be made of cherry, you no doubt will see oak as the secondary wood. Furthermore, all of the dressers have wooden dust covers. Finally, you will find solid brass hardware on Pennsylvania House dressers.
As far as vintage Pennsylvania House dining room sets, you will find some excellent quality. Indeed, most vintage Pennsylvania House china cabinets have mirror backs. Additionally, they feature nice thick glass shelves. Again, nearly all models of china cabinets feature solid cherry wood. Occasionally, the company used maple and oak. However, cherry plays heavily in their vintage merchandise.
Of course, Pennsylvania House dining tables from a certain period feature 1 inch thick solid wood table tops. (After about 1980, some table tops were made in 3/4 inch thickness.) And, typically the dining tables have adjustable lengths. Of course, this just means they have fitted leaves.
Also, Pennsylvania House made really nice solid dining chairs as well. So, you will find beautifully crafted chairs with very seamless joints. Also, the company used high density foam and fabrics on any seats. F
Additionally, the company used beautiful traditional reproduction styles. Certainly, they made lovely Queen Anne and Colonial style furniture for several decades.
So, if you love high end traditional furniture, you should definitely consider Pennsylvania House furniture.
Modern Pennsylvania House Furniture
Of course, today, the name Pennsylvania House does not show such quality. Unfortunately, the name “Pennsylvania House” has been sold. So, unfortunately after 2005, most furniture marked with the Pennsylvania House logo did not come from the Pennsylvania workshops. Instead, most of it comes from China and overseas.
Likely, this furniture has some pressed wood parts, very quick sprayed finishes and less than perfect joinery techniques.
Obviously, we recommend looking for quality vintage pieces by the company.
Where is Pennsylvania House Furniture Made?
Before 2005, all furniture by Pennsylvania House was manufactured in the United States. The company’s main manufacturing center sat in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. However, they also had some upholstery centers around the country, in places like New York state.
Today, that might not be the case. In 2005, Universal Furniture purchased the name Pennsylvania House. So, after some changes, the Universal Furniture decided to import pieces. Then, they stamped these pieces with the name, “Pennsylvania House.”
At this point in the company’s history, much of their product featured Asian made products. In other words, Universal traded on the reputation of Pennsylvania House. However, likely, they disappointed customers familiar with the brand.
Much of the furniture made under the new parent company did not reflect the original quality of the brand. For instance, much of the modern Pennsylvania House products post 2005 feature pressed wood. Sometimes, you will see thin veneers instead of solid wood. Also, you may find metal drawer mechanics instead of wood. Finally, you may see very thin hardware.
So, all this to say, shop for quality vintage Pennsylvania House furniture!
What is Pennsylvania House Furniture Made of?
Back in the day, you could count on solid wood in Pennsylvania House furniture. In fact, the company once claimed that 90% of its lumber was harvested in Pennsylvania. Of course, they used premier hardwoods. Generally, they used solid cherry. However, they also used maple, oak, and some pine.
Today, if you find Pennsylvania House pieces made after 2005, it may not be solid wood. In fact, likely it features very little wood!
When did Pennsylvania House stop making Furniture?
Pennsylvania House stopped making furniture in around 2004-2005. That is when various parent companies purchased the rights to the name. The furniture factories in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania closed. Of course, many American workers lost their jobs. And, the name that once meant solid wood fine furniture lost its reputation.
Can you still buy Pennsylvania House Furniture?
Today, if you want Pennsylvania House furniture, you have to purchase second hand furniture.
Indeed, searching online serves as the best way to find good quality Pennsylvania House Furniture. Of course, you can search on several different platforms. Currently, you can find lots of different collections by Pennsylvania House.
Pennsylvania House Furniture Markings
Luckily, most sellers photograph the Pennsylvania House Furniture Markings to allow you to authenticate the pieces. Obviously, you need to verify that the piece has the right insignia. After all, most sites and vintage furniture stores have a buyer’s beware policy. So, the burden lies with you, as the buyer.
However, throughout the company’s long history, they only changed their logo a few times. So, you can easily date Pennsylvania House pieces.
Additionally, the markings location rarely changed. Typically, you find the stamp in just a few places. On a vintage PA House dresser, you can find the logo in the top drawer (usually left side and in the left drawer).
As far as dining tables, the stamp falls on the apron of the table. Once in a while, you will find it on the underside of the table top. However, that is rare.
Pennsylvania House dining chairs have the markings on the apron of the chair, usually on the underside of the front scalloped apron. Of course, you may also find it on the seat cushion. However, if the chairs were reupholstered, you may not find the paper label there.
In vintage Pennsylvania House china cabinets, you will find the logo on the inside of the drawers (again on the left side). If it is not there, you can also find it on the back. Of course, sometimes the top half of a two piece china cabinet will have the stamp on the back and top of the top piece.
As far as Pennsylvania House beds, you can find the stamp on the back of the headboard. Usually, there are no markings on the side rails or the footboard.