What is the history of Virginia Craftsmen Company that once had the license to reproduce the furniture in Monticello?

Answer 1

Founded in 1927 by Walter Zirkle, Sr., Virginia Craftsmen, Inc., manufactures and retailed high-quality antique reproduction furniture. Each Virginia Craftsmen antique reproduction is crafted by hand. The artisans work from carefully preserved and irreplaceable original patterns, as well as precise drawings of the actual historic pieces. Only the finest solid, kiln-dried hardwoods- primarily cherry, walnut and mahogany-are used. Where historical style dictates, the finest crotched veneers are used. All inlays are hardwood, no plastics or softwoods. Virginia Craftsmen employs traditional techniques to assure complete authenticity. The dovetail and mortise and tenon are our basic forms of joinery. The turnings are done on a lathe with hand-held chisels that cut sharper detail than automatic machine production. The satin smooth finishes are the result of countless hours of hand rubbing. The glass panes in the cabinets are individually set, and all cabinet backs are made of solid wood… completely finished on both sides. Even in places most people would not examine-like the backs and undersides of drawers- all surfaces are completely finished, with the most meticulous detail carefully rendered. Virginia Craftsmen TM furniture may be seen at these historic locations and restorations: In Colonial Williamsburg . . . The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, Va. Providence Hall; Campbell Coffee House; King's Arms Tavern; Chowing's Tavern; Guest Houses; The Williamsburg Inn; Carter's Grove; Shields Tavern; The Williamsburg Lodge. Other Locations. . . Monticello, Charlottesville, Va. The Rotunda, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va. The Boar's Head Inn, Charlottesville, Va. James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va. Figgie International, Richmond, Va. Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va. Piedmont Community College, Charlottesville, Va. Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia, Wise, Va. Chagrin Valley Hunt Club, Gates Mills, Ohio Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Va. Sigma, Sigma, Sigma National Headquarters, Woodstock, Va. Rockingham Memorial Hospital, Harrisonburg, Va. Wren Building, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va. Farmington Country Club, Charlottesville, Va. McCormick Library, Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Va. Gadsby's Tavern, Alexandria, Va. Maryland's First Capitol, St. Mary's, Md. Wells Memorial Library, Newington, Conn. Pierson College, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Deerfield Academy, Deerfield, Mass. Scarsdale Library, Scarsdale, N.Y. Erie Insurance Exchange, Erie, Pa. Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg, Pa. Delaware State Capitol Building, Dover, Del. Baltimore Country Club, Baltimore, Md. Medical College of Virginia Hospital, Richmond, Va Library, Virginia State College, Petersburg, Va. Country Club of Virginia, Richmonds, Va. Library, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Va. Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Ind. First National Bank of Shreveport, Shreveport, La. Pioneer Hall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. Dearborn Inn, Detroit, Mich. Union Camp Corporation, Franklin, Va. For more information, Virginia Craftsmen can be contacted at PO BOX 160, Hinton, VA 22831 or thecraftsmeninc@gmail.com