Results tagged “antiques” from York Town Square

Pennsylvania Furniture Co.'s Sumner Street factory in York, actually West York, was erected in the early 1900s and became the home for long-lasting bedroom and dining room suites. Background posts: Red Lion's Ebert Furniture: From bedroom suites to gunstocks and York-area woodcarver, furniture maker made life-size JFK statue. But where is it now? and Springetts collector attracts 'Antiques Roadshow's' Kenos and Of York antiquarian Joe Kindig III: 'He is generous with his knowledge'.

E-mailer David Degroot is looking for a few good facts about York, Pa.'s venerable Pennsylvania Furniture Co.

"My wife and I bought an antique bedroom set," he wrote. "One of the pieces has a small sticker on the back indicating that the furniture was manufactured by the Pennsylvania Furniture Co. in York, PA. My guess is that furniture was manufactured in the early 1900s."

Furniture-making was a big business in York County in those days, and Pennsylvania Furniture was one of the most successful. The county was home to plentiful hardwood trees, and its location on transportation routes spawned wagonmakers, riflemakers and manufacturers of other hand-made wood products.

The York County Heritage Trust's file on Pennsylvania Furniture contains several documents. (One bore the photo above.)

Here are some salient facts gleaned from those documents:

Ruth Myers, left, and Ruby Myers, right, twin 5-year-old Thomasville-area sisters sit in a Chase quarter ton pickup truck 1948. At that time, the truck was 50 years old. This photo was published in The (York, Pa.) Gazette and Daily in June 1948. Background posts: Codorus collector exhibits collection of conveyances - wheels and sleighs and Can York's longtime claim as 'Detroit of the East' be proven? and Hart-Krafts of York, Pa.: 'Most of the trucks were used and abused'.

The photo from 51 years ago shows a truck of 50-year-old vintage. Or is it a just a farm wagon with an engine jury-rigged on it?

Well, early automobiles evolved from wagons and that explains why York County had so many automakers in the first 20 years of the 20th century. As a region with many major roads going back to its earliest years, York County played host to hordes of travelers and, thus, had many wagon makers.

The photo caption told the news of E.A. Krug's purchase of the quarter-ton pickup truck... .

Joe Kindig III, noted York, Pa., antique dealer, will receive the 2008 award of merit from the Antiques Association of American on April 12 in Philadelphia. He was featured with multiple photos and a long story in the April 4 edition of "Antiques and The Arts Weekly." Background posts: Bottle & jug enthusiasts must dig for their York County gold, Springetts collector attracts 'Antiques Roadshow's' Kenos and Flag expert: 'I was interested in my nation's heritage'.

Ask anyone in York County's historical community about Joe Kindig III, and they speak in respectful tones about his vast knowledge of antiquing and history surrounding his artifacts.

A story in "Antiques and the Arts Weekly," tells how the Kindig family got its start in the antique world:

Sal Ferrante, collector and seller of vintage Italian furniture, and son, Disma, are seen in the storage area of his Springettsbury Township business in this York Daily Record/Sunday News photo. Ferrante said the chandeliers (background) and other lighting fixtures are in particular demand. Background posts: Flag expert: 'I was interested in my nation's heritage' and Upcoming events should attract York/Adams history buffs .

York countians are proud of their antiques.

In fact, close a big building in any town around the county nowadays, and an antique mall will move in. Look, for example, at what happened after Leader's Furniture closed in Jacobus and Geiple's in Glen Rock.

Those antique malls are good things, kind of unsung tourist promotion sites drawing bargain-hunters from all directions.

But 'Antiques Roadshow' recently bypassed these ubiquitous sites and set up tent in Springettsbury Township. There, they explored the vintage Italian collections of Salvatore Ferrante... .