In May of 1946 Carroll and Mary Henkel along with a close friend, John Harris, started a business building furniture in the basement of the Henkel home on Amherst St in Winchester, Va. The first piece was a Corner Cabinet, it was to big to come out of the basement in one piece, so they cut it in half, brought it out and glued it back. It was taken to Washington D.C. and sold quickly. Soon, they moved their operations to a small warehouse next to the Henkel home. In the early 50s they moved to 660 North Loudoun Street in Winchester and their reputation for quality furniture was spreading rapidly.

In the 1954 price list, they made 24 styles in cherry, with Fruitwood #24 finish, 20 styles in mahogany, with Richmond Satin Finish #14, 10 styles in Walnut with Gunstock Walnut #23 finish and 3 styles in Pine with #22 finish to Match Townsend and Pine Shops. All the chairs sold as Henkel Harris were actually made by others, Hickory Chair Co., Clore & Hawkins and Michigan Chair. Special Finishes to match customers sample-add 20%. Unfinished 10% discount.

#1114 Large Corner Cabinet w/ plain hinges

• Cherry $206.00
• Mahogany $209.50
• Pine $219.50
• Walnut $239.50 (available only with H hinges)

We have had 2 pieces of Pine, one a #1116 Faulkner Corner Cabinet, that was sold to William Henkel, President of Henkel Harris and a #1114 Fairfax Corner Cabinet that was sold to a employee of Henkel Harris. Henkel Harris used heart pine and the quality and finish were exceptional. The corner cabinets are very rare pieces and the #2528 Stoddard Silver Chest is the only other piece that was made in Pine. We would love to find one of those!

In 1954, John Harris sold his interest in the company to the Henkel’s. Henkel-Harris employed 22 craftsmen at that time and their reputation for building quality furniture was spreading rapidly.

Carroll Henkel designed and built a new state of the art manufacturing facility in 1964 that became a model for the industry. This plant is still being used today, functioning smoothly with today’s technological advances. Each piece of Henkel Harris furniture is still detailed and finished by the hands of a skilled craftsman. Carroll Henkel past away in January of 1969, his standards for attention to detail and quality workmanship are alive and well at Henkel-Harris today.

Mary Henkel was determined to continue her and Carroll’s dream to build the finest furniture in America, despite suggestions to sellout and offers to buy her out. The odds of a woman successfully running a large furniture company at that time were against her, but she succeeded and gained respect in the industry as a leader. Mrs. Henkel’s contribution to her community was second to none, her gifts to every kind of public institution were generous, from schools to fire halls to Apple Blossom Queens. Henkel-Harris continued to grow and expand under her direction. In 1996 she was honored with being inducted into the “Furniture Hall of Fame”. In November of 2001, Mary Henkel past away. She was loved and respected by her community and the employees of Henkel-Harris.

William(Bill) H. Henkel has been President and CEO of Henkel Harris since 1982. He has 3 sons, all are currently working at Henkel Harris. Hopefully, they will continue the legacy left by Carroll and Mary Henkel, building the finest furniture in America.

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