Brumby Rocker

The Brumby Rocker is a type of rocking chair built by the Brumby Chair Factory of the Brumby Chair Company in Marietta, Georgia, which operated between 1875 and 1942, or by its successor which started in 1972. Former US president, Jimmy Carter was an admirer of the chairs and brought five Brumby rockers to the White House.[1]

Brumby Rocker Chair

The chair is deliberately large, with large arms, seat and "runners" and a very high back.[2][3][4] It has good balance, is sturdy, weights 32 pounds and stands 4 feet tall.[5] It's made with a variety of materials including cane and red oak.[5]

History

James Remley Brumby was the first owner of the Brumby Chair Factory.[6]They began crafting these chairs about 10 years after the civil war. The company peaked just before the great depression. However production was stopped due to WWII in 1942, when the bamboo cane that was used for the seat and back, which came from Asia became unavailable.[5] [7] The factory was then used for other furniture.

The successor company started manufacturing in 1972. [1]

Buildings

The Brumby Chair Factory building (c. 1879), on Church Street[Note 1] in Marietta, is a contributing building in the Northwest Marietta Historic District.[6] The Brumby-Sibley-Corley House, at 285 Kennesaw Avenue in the district, is a mid-Victorian house built by James Remley Brumby (photo #1).[6]: 5 

Notes
  1. 167 Church Street, per NRHP doc; 67 Church Street per accompanying photos

References
  1. Peter Applebome (March 7, 1989). "Marietta Journal; Winds of Change Rock A Classic Rocking Chair". The New York Times. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  2. Bill Lohmann, United Press International (November 3, 1985). "Built to Last a Lifetime : Brumby Chairs: The Rock of Ages". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  3. Bill Lohmann, United Press International (November 24, 1985). "Brumby Rockers Keep Rolling With That Old-fashioned Quality". Chicago Tribune.
  4. "Rosson: Chair company still doing business in Marietta, Ga".
  5. "Good-bye Brumby rockers: The end of an era - UPI Archives". UPI. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  6. David T. Agnew and Elizabeth Z. Macgregor (April 7, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Northwest Marietta Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved September 11, 2016. with 18 photos from 1974-75 (with #15 a photo of the factory)
  7. May, Lee (1990-12-03). "Changing times threaten to retire famous rocking chairs : Unreliable supplies and aging machinery could shut the doors of the Brumby factory and close the book on a piece of American history". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-06-02.


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