Martinsville, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
1930s to 1950s
| — | Furnishing a Nation: The story of furniture making in Martinsville-Henry County | — |
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, November 4, 2026
1. 1930s to 1950s Marker
•1930 – Tom Stanley reduces his annual salary from $7,500 to $900 as a cost-cutting measure during The Depression. Instead of firing employees during this time of slow demand, the furniture companies spread the work among all the employees, allowing everyone to make a small amount of money.
•1933 – Stanley Furniture has a profit of $12,000.
•1934 – The newly formed Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. purchases Ramsey Furniture Company for $117,000 and creates a new company, Bassett Superior Lines.
•1934 – The Stanleytown Methodist Church was erected in 1934 with funds made available by Stanley Furniture Company. A 7-acre recreation center was built years later through company funding.
•1940 – Hooker Furniture installs a modern conveyor system, which improved efficiency and accelerated production.
•1940 – The capital stock of Bassett Furniture Industries increased from $1.87 million
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•1942 – During World War II, Bassett converts its plants to produce truck bodies for the armed forces.
•1947 – Gravely Furniture purchases Ridgeway Furniture Manufacturing Company, which would later be the site where their famed grandfather clocks would be made.
•1950 – The post-war Fifties saw a surge in the economy, in the population and in furniture buying.
•1950 – The big boom in television was beginning, and Gravely Furniture saw a golden opportunity by making tens of thousands of TV tables and bases, including a lazy susan type for such companies as Philco, RCA, Sylvania, Zenith and Magnavox.
•1954 – Founder of Stanley Furniture Thomas B. Stanley is elected governor of Virginia. Back at the plant, youth furniture is becoming an important category in the Stanley line.
•1956 – Bassett launches full-color ads in LIFE magazine and was the first furniture company to use mass media to market its products.
•1958 – American of Martinsville builds an impressive, freestanding showroom in High Point, called American Square.
•1959 – American of Martinsville forms its Contract Division, specializing
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, November 4, 2026
2. 1930s to 1950s Marker
(captions)
W.M. Bassett, CEO of Bassett Furniture Industries, smiles as he views his dream come true—the huge, modern table plant he so enthusiastically supervised from the planning board to completion.
T.L. “Red” Campbell cuts headboards at Hooker-Bassett Furniture circa 1930.
Cover of Hooker-Bassett Furniture catalog from 1942. The catalog featured bedroom, dining room, and “odd robes,” which included a variety of wardrobes.
Presentation of gold watches for 25 years of service at Hooker Furniture on December 22, 1949. Recipients include: W.B. Dillon, A.F. Hooker, O.E. Crouch, and J.C. Hooker.
Thomas B. Stanley, founder of Stanley Furniture, became governor of Virginia in 1954. Prior to that he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1930 – 46), Speaker of the House (1942 – 46), and U.S. Congressman (1946 – 53). Pictured here is the cover of the commemorative 1954 inauguration program.
In 1958, American of Martinsville builds an impressive, freestanding showroom in High Point, called American Square.
Erected 2009
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, November 4, 2026
3. 1930s to 1950s Marker
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures • War, World II.
Location. 36° 41.416′ N, 79° 52.26′ W. Marker is in Martinsville, Virginia. It is at the intersection of Church Street East and Broad Street, on the right when traveling east on Church Street East. The marker is located in Furniture Heritage Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 37 Church Street East, Martinsville VA 24112, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Virginia. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 1960s to 1980s
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, November 4, 2026
4. 1930s to 1950s Marker
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, November 4, 2026
5. The Big Chair
Photographed by C. Ryan Dodson, November 4, 2026
6. The Big Chair Dedication Plaque
Credits. This page was last revised on November 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 5, 2026, by C. Ryan Dodson of Danville, Virginia. This page has been viewed 6 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 5, 2026, by C. Ryan Dodson of Danville, Virginia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
