MAKER / Drexel Heritage

The Drexel Heritage name tells a small story about what the company could suddenly do. Drexel Furniture Company had been making fine casegoods near Morganton, North Carolina since 1903, but for decades it didn't produce a stick of its own upholstery — when a collection called for an upholstered piece, Drexel bought it from someone else. That changed when Drexel acquired Heritage Furniture, a respected maker of quality upholstered pieces, and began offering work under the Drexel Heritage brand name. The merger paired Drexel's wood expertise with Heritage's upholstery craft, and the combined name signaled a full-service maker that could outfit an entire room. The corporate identity was formalized in 1968, when the business officially became Drexel Heritage Furnishings, Inc. In its prime the brand was a genuine heavyweight — a 1966 ranking placed it third among U.S. furniture manufacturers — supplying not just homes but hotels and U.S. embassies around the world.