Most people recognize the name Ethan Allen furniture as one of the premier furniture brands in the United States. What is the history of Ethan Allen furniture.
The history of the Ethan Allen company reaches as far back as the 1930s when two brothers-in-law purchased a failing furniture company in Beecher Falls Vermont.
History of Ethan Allen Furniture
Plentiful Vermont forests of hard rock maple and pine trees made the Beecher Falls Furniture Company’s product extremely durable and hearty, but challenging economic times eventually led to their bankruptcy.
Nathan S. Ancell and Theodore Baumritter saw potential and struck to purchase the vestiges of the furniture company, renaming it “Ethan Allen” after the Revolutionary War Hero from Vermont. The throw-back to the revolutionary times also fit the new company’s classic colonial lines and simple style.
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Vintage Mirror, Ethan Allen Furniture
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Vintage Mirror, Ethan Allen Furniture
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Vintage Corner Cabinet, Attributed to Ethan Allen Furniture
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Sorry This Item Has Been Sold!
Vintage Nightstand, Small Chest, Ethan Allen Furniture
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Although the Etahan Allen Furniture co. still produces fabulous high quality pieces today, Bohemian’s favors Ethan Allen furniture from the 1940’s to the 1970’s. In brief Bohemian’s furniture store considers this period the “Golden Age of Ethan Allen.”
Strong dovetail joinery, thick maple and cherry woods, and classic colonial styles: all hallmarks of Ethan Allen’s best lines. Bohemian’s vintage store loves the traditional shaker and colonial styles that seem to work in all types of homes. In the long run we know that vintage Ethan Allen furniture will last for years to come.
History of Ethan Allen Furniture
Take a look at the back of most Ethan Allen furniture from this furniture period and you will find real wood, not particle board or staples. Most cabinets and dressers use wood panels in between the drawers. And most wood grain continues from drawer front to cabinet face in a seamless fashion. As a general rule, Ethan Allen of this time period is made with native United States forest woods, not imported woods from Asia. Above all and more specifically, Ethan Allen furniture is made of New England’s prime growing forests. Hard New England winters produce slow growing trees and tight grain woods. Not so great of a climate for… well… most things, but Perfect for making furniture!
Rachel F.
Bohemian’s
www.eBohemians.com
Hi.
I have my parents Ethan Allen Royal Charter Oak trestle dining tables and chairs. I beleive it is dated 1976. It is the darker finish, before EA made the finish lighter in the early 1980’s. The table has a few light watermarks. Do you have advice how I can remove the marks without totally refinishing?
Also I recently purchased the matching Ethan Allen Royal Charter Oak tall clock. The case is in original condition. I am looking for advice about the maker of the clock workings and the best way to have it conditioned and repaired. The hour chime will not stop until the weight runs down. I had a clock repair person out and he tinkered and oiled the clock and gave me a $600 bill. The problem started up again 3 days later and the clock also ran slow after he “fixed” it. When I called again he said he could pull out the works and put in all new for $1,500. He also said as an option he could install a battery powered clockwork for a lot less (cringe). I’m all for restoration and not replacement. Do you have any advice? I’m in Virginia near Washington, DC.
Thank you,
Michael
Hi Heidi! My best guess is that the oak top may not be original to your desk. Usually, especially maple furniture from the 1930s through the 1960s was made completely of maple wood. So, I find it a bit odd that it would have an oak top. But maybe it was a special order! If you would like, please feel free to send me a photo. My email address is available on the contact page. Thanks, Best, Rachel
Hi,
I have a desk that looks like it was made with oak on top and the front facing part of the drawers and maple everywhere else. The whole thing is stained very dark. A drawer is stamped with a maple leaf and made in Beecher Falls, Vt. Curious why they would use a mix of oak and maple. Any thoughts much appreciated!
Hi D! I am sorry. I have not heard of Ethan Allen being made in England either. Could it perhaps be a misprint or something related to a collection name by Ethan Allen? Please feel free to send photos to my email (available on the contact page) and I will take a look at it. Thanks so much! Rachel
Hello, I recently purchased a corner hutch that is stamped Ethan Allen made in England. It has a leaded glass window and lions on the base. I can’t find anything on Ethan Allen from England. Looks like an old oak piece. Any help would be appreciated. Thank You
In great condition and tight we sell a bed by Ethan Allen for about $600 online if its a queen, a full size bed is about $485. I have not seen your that’s just a rough estimate. Selling one online like Facebook or Craiglist you would expect to get maybe $150. At auction the beds again depending on condition would get between $50 and $400 dependent on the audience. The auction house would probably charge you 25% to 50% commission. A consignment shop would sell and Ethan Allen bed between $250-$450 again depending on the size and condition, expect to pay about 50% commission for their work.
Hi, your end tables are most likely solid cherry or maple if they are Ethan Allen. If you are handy enough to refinish your tables then of course redo them and enjoy them for years. A refinisher would probably charge more for the work then finding a great set on the secondary market for sale and ready to go into your home. In rough condition at an auction we see them for $10 to $60 a pair, the restoration costs money.
They can be very similar but the stain color will be different. Many companies make reproduction furniture which copies antiques styles so they do look alike. The size of a chair may be slightly different. We had a few Georgian Court chairs a few months back but they sold. Keep an eye open as they will come up now and then.
We have an an Ethan Allen georgian court cherry Queen Anne dining room set that we’ve been searching for at least two added chairs for quite awhile. We can never seen to match them up, but recently I saw two Henkel Harris chairs on a site that seemed to match them pretty good. I didn’t buy them immediately because website pictures can be a tad off. Is it possible to the two companies sold DR chairs made by the same company and are alike?
I have two bedside tables with the Ethan Allen name stamped on the inside of the drawer. How can I find out more about the vintage and the wood used in these tables. They are very well used and I might consider having them refinished if they are worth the expense.