Q:I have a Lane hope chest that my mother got in 1938. It’s marked inside “Altavista Va.” with serial number 112331 and style number 48388X. Can you tell me when the chest was made?
A:John Lane bought a box plant in Altavista, Va., in 1912. His son, Ed Hudson Lane, soon began making cedar chests in the factory. The business was incorporated as Standard Red Cedar Chest Co. During World War I, the factory was converted to wartime production and made ammunition boxes. In 1922 the name of the company was changed to The Lane Co. The Lane family continued to operate the business until 1986, when Interco took over the company. Lane is now part of Furniture Brands International. The serial number indicates that your chest was made on Nov. 23, 1931. There is a recall on locks on Lane chests made before 1987. The lock on your cedar chest should be replaced because a child could get trapped inside and suffocate. Contact the company via its website, www.LaneFurniture.com, and you will be sent a free replacement lock.