Heywood-Wakefield Company

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The Heywood-Wakefield Company is an American furniture manufacturer established in 1897. It went on to become a major presence in the US. Its older products are considered collectibles [1] [2] [3] and have been featured on Antiques Roadshow . [4] [5]

Contents

History

Heywood Brothers was established in 1826 and Wakefield Company was established in 1855. [6] Both firms produced wicker and rattan furniture and, as these products became increasingly popular towards the end of the century, they became serious rivals. [7] In 1897, the companies merged as Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company (this name was changed to Heywood-Wakefield Company in 1921). The new company subsequently purchased Washburn-Heywood Chair Company in 1916, Oregon Chair Company in 1920, and Lloyd Manufacturing Company in 1921. [6] Marshall Lloyd had developed a process for making woven furniture, such as wicker baby buggies.

As was the case for so many American manufacturers, Heywood-Wakefield succumbed to rising costs and competition from manufacturers abroad and was forced to shutter its operations in 1979. [8] In 1982, Heywood-Wakefield sold the former Lloyd Manufacturing Company facilities to Flanders Industries. [9] This company, now known as Lloyd Flanders, still makes outdoor furniture in Menominee, Michigan. [9] The Heywood-Wakefield Company Complex in Gardner, Massachusetts was added to the National Historic Register in 1983.

The South Beach Furniture Company acquired the rights to the Heywood-Wakefield name in 1992. Upon discovering the demand for vintage pieces, the company began manufacturing new pieces in the style of vintage Heywood-Wakefield furniture. In 2022, the company changed its name and officially became Heywood-Wakefield Co. The company is now run by third-generation furniture maker Tom Belletete [10] and all furniture is made in Winchendon, Massachusetts. [8]

Products

Both founding companies produced wicker and rattan furniture in the late 19th century. Wakefield initiated its mechanized production. [7] The wicker styles drew on the Aesthetic Movement and Japanese influences; simpler designs arose in the wake of the Arts and Crafts Movement. [7] The merged entity stayed abreast of wicker furniture trends by hiring designers such as Paul Frankl and Donald Deskey during the 1920s. [7] The 1920s saw the company move into installing seating in movie palaces. [11] Its furniture was exhibited at the 1933 Century of Progress exhibition and at the 1964 New York World's Fair. [12]

During the 1930s and 1940s, Heywood-Wakefield began producing furniture using sleek designs based on French Art Deco. [13] In fact, many well-known and influential designers contributed to Heywood-Wakefield during this time period; these included Gilbert Rohde, Russel Wright, Alexis de Sakhnoffsky, and W. Joseph Carr. [8]

Long-haul bus companies began focusing on passenger comfort in the 1920s. Heywood-Wakefield's bucket seats proved successful and rail companies began to follow suit. Together with the Association of American Railroads' Mechanical Division, Heywood-Wakefield became involved in the quest for more luxurious seat design. Through a grant from Heywood-Wakefield, the Association employed a Harvard professor of anthropology, E. A. Hooton, to research rail passenger seat preferences in 1945. [14] Heywood-Wakefield's resulting Sleepy Hollow seat came into wide use. [14]

References

  1. ↑ Pat Harris; Patricia Harris; David Lyon (2006). You Know You're in Massachusetts When...: 101 Quintessential Places, People, Events, Customs, Lingo, and Eats of the Bay State. Globe Pequot. p. 7. ISBN   978-0-7627-4132-8.
  2. ↑ Carol Prisant (2003). Antiques Roadshow Collectibles: The Complete Guide to Collecting 20th-century Toys, Glassware, Costume Jewelry, Memorabilia, Ceramics & More, from the Most-watched Series on PBS . Workman Publishing Company. p.  505. ISBN   978-0-7611-2822-9.
  3. ↑ Julia Szabo (23 March 2009). Pretty Pet-Friendly: Easy Ways to Keep Spot's Digs Stylish & Spotless . John Wiley & Sons. p.  53. ISBN   978-0-470-46502-8.
  4. ↑ "Heywood Wakefield Desk, ca. 1940". PBS . Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  5. ↑ "Heywood-Wakefield Rocker, ca. 1900". PBS . Retrieved 2016-06-01.
  6. 1 2 Larry R. Paul (2005). Made in the twentieth century: a guide to contemporary collectibles. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 161. ISBN   9780810845633.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Publications, Home Buyer. Old House Interiors. pp. 40–43.
  8. 1 2 3 "Our story". Heywood-Wakefield. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Home". Lloyd Flanders. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  10. ↑ "An interview with Heywood-Wakefield co-owner, Tom Belletete. Part 1 of". Heywood-Wakefield. 2025-05-08. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
  11. ↑ Simmons, Michael L. (3 July 1927). "Heywood-Wakefield Seats Enjoying Sales in East". The Film Daily (Jul-Dec 1927). New York, Wid's Films and Film Folks, Inc. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  12. ↑ Jeremy Elwell Adamson; Sam Maloof; Renwick Gallery (2001). The furniture of Sam Maloof. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 11–112. ISBN   978-0-393-73080-7.
  13. ↑ Marvin D. Schwartz; Elizabeth Von Habsburg; Chun Y. Lai (2000). American Furniture: Tables, Chairs, Sofas & Beds. Black Dog Publishing. p. 139. ISBN   978-1-57912-108-2.
  14. 1 2 White, John H. (1985) [1978]. The American Railroad Passenger Car. Vol. 2. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 377. ISBN   978-0-8018-2747-1.
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