Stanley Furniture Company

Q: I have a chair with the label “Stanley Furniture Co., Stanleytown, Virginia.” I would like to know the history of this company.

A: Stanley Furniture Co. was founded by Thomas Bahnson Stanley (1890-1970) in 1924. A factory and houses for workers were built on 150 acres of open land in an area that became known as Stanleytown. The company owned the houses and rented them to workers for a few dollars per month. The first Stanley furniture was a dining room suite, produced in 1925. Your chair was made after 1929. During the Depression, the company promised that no one would be let go, and the workers and executives took pay cuts so the company could stay open. The company is still in business in Stanleytown. The founder became active in politics, and in 1953 Thomas Stanley was elected governor of Virginia.