A couple updates on furniture-making in Pennsylvania. First, my friend loaned me a booklet published in 1982 by the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Apparently, there was an exhibit at the former facility in Oakland. The book covers clocks, chests, slant-front desks, glassware, and silver. The book was reprinted in 2001, but I couldn’t find a copy available online. The research does not provide insight into what was made in Western Pennsylvania after 1820.

Yesterday I also had the opportunity to visit Neshannock Woods, a cabinetmaker and antique dealer near Grove City. A period workshop provides insight into how furniture was once made. There are also some period Western Pennsylvania pieces available for purchase including an 1837 empire chest with origins in Washington, Pa.

You can visit them online at Neshannock Woods