by Juanita | Nov 24, 2021 | Ava Lee's History Corner, customer experience, George's Furniture, Georges Difference, Tables
“I love that this table belonged to my grandparents!” Can you believe this solid wood kitchen table was actually created for her grandparents?! Now Karly gets to gather her family around this same table! And it is in amazing condition!
A Custom Kitchen Table Just for Them
In 1978, Cyrus and Florence Keefer were designing their new house in Middletown, PA. They dreamed of a joyful home making memories with their children. That’s when they realized they really wanted a solid wood kitchen table as the centerpiece for family meals, homework, board games & late-night chats. Their next obstacle? Finding a table that could meet their needs.
As Cyrus & Florence considered their needs, they knew they could not just pick up a kitchen table from a furniture outlet store. They really needed a customized solid wood kitchen table just for them & their family.
Enter George’s Furniture, Lancaster, PA. When Cyrus & Florence reached out to George, they knew they definitely wanted a kitchen table made from black walnut wood. Lucky for them, George’s Furniture specializes in black walnut wood. When they visited George, they shared their vision for the kitchen & even saw George’s woodshop in action. That is when they decided on a trestle table & chairs to fit their eat-in kitchen space.
1st thing to know about this solid wood kitchen table: It is completely custom designed for Cyrus & Florence’s kitchen & made out of beautiful black walnut wood.
Black Walnut Wood: Perfect for this Kitchen Table
Once the gorgeous solid wood kitchen table was installed in their home, it quickly became the gathering point for their family. In fact, Cyrus started a Sunday night tradition of preparing sandwiches, his specialty, for the whole family & any of their guests who visited too.
Sadly, Cyrus passed in 1980. But in their loss, his family appreciated the memories they had with their father gathered around that beautiful kitchen table. In time, Cyrus’s daughter Lori & son-in-law Kurt Siffin inherited the solid wood trestle table & chairs set.
“The table was a sentimental piece of furniture… a pleasant reminder of our father and family home,” recalls Lori. “The table has aged well. The memory marks have added character to the table. It is a piece worthy to be passed on.”
In the Siffin home, the kitchen table again brought the family together for meals, games, & memories. Even through several moves, this family heirloom witnessed birthday parties & celebrations, soup nights in the winter, & lunches in the summer.
When Lori & Kurt Siffin finally downsized to their current home in Long Neck, Delaware, the solid wood trestle table & chairs went into storage, but not for long.
2nd thing to know about this solid wood kitchen table: Using the black walnut wood for this kitchen table meant it kept its beauty & strength through the 2nd generation of the family. 
Solid Wood Kitchen Table Lasts Generations
Because of the sentimental value of the table as well as the high quality of the black walnut wood, the Siffins thoughtfully stored the table properly to preserve its quality.
After 2 years in storage, Karly Siffin, granddaughter of Cyrus & daughter of Lori, gave the trestle table new life in her home. From Philadelphia, PA, Karly moved from her small apartment into a townhome in Manayunk, PA. Now this family heirloom can again serve family & friends in Karly’s kitchen. “I love that this table belonged to my grandparents. It is very special to me,” says Karly.
3rd thing to know about this solid wood kitchen table: When you work with George’s Furniture to custom build your dream furniture, you can trust that the quality will truly last your family for generations. It is well worth the investment.
Each customer of George’s Furniture enjoys the ability to pass their heirlooms from one generation to another. The exceptional, high-quality construction and strong, protective finishes allow George’s furniture to survive decades. Join the many satisfied customers and begin your family traditions of gathering around a table and enjoy the beauty of handcrafted solid wood furniture.
by Juanita | Oct 6, 2021 | Chair, customer experience, Customization, Forestry Management, Office
Lumber meets finished furniture
Chris Bingaman first met George by working for his father’s lumber business, Bingaman & Sons Lumber. For many years, George would purchase raw lumber used to make the high-quality solid hardwood furniture at George’s Woodcrafts. George worked with Max, Chris’ father, to identify the group of logs that were cut to George’s particular order. Black walnut was a favor of George and is still in high demand, especially as a recently developed technique, using both the natural heartwood and sapwood of black walnut wood called Walnut Blend was made available.
Walnut Blend on Table with clear water resistant finish repelling water.
The coveted Pennsylvania cherry and red oak are in high demand, harvested by Bingaman & Sons from the ever-expanding forests of Pennsylvania. Over the years, Chris enjoyed sharing his love for natural wood and the harvest of timber. He also appreciates the quality of craftsmanship exhibited by George’s craftsmen.
Gifts for employees
As a special gift to their retiring employees, the company purchases George’s famous non- tip rocking chair. Several times, George’s employees have toured the lumber saw mill and wood drying kilns. A great way to integrate of raw lumber and finished product.
Designed to space requirements
Chris upgraded his sales office by specially ordering a large executive desk. He worked with our designers to bring his ideas and unique space needs to reality. Delivering the desk presented another challenge. The hallways were narrow with tight corners. Up the stairs and around a hairpin curve. We designed the desk with the office layout in mind. Now Chris enjoys helping customers surrounded with natural cherry grain of his executive desk.
George’s designer came and measured the space I had to use and worked with me to create a design that served all the functions I hoped for. When the desk arrived, it exceeded my expectations! It is a beautiful piece that brings a “wow” response to everyone who visits my office and it is the most enjoyable work station I have ever experienced. I am an extremely satisfied customer!!! – Chris Bingaman
Stackable Chair design
When Chris and his wife redecorated their home, they came with a unique style of dining chair. They worked with our designers to develop a new style of chair that continued the strength and comfort of George’s chairs. Another challenge of long tables is where to store all the chairs between dinner parties. A design for sturdy, stackable chairs emerged and now stands in their closet awaiting the next large gathering. The stackable chairs are stacked in groups of 5 chairs taking the space of 32x21x42h. They are available in black walnut (pictured), cherry, red oak or maple hardwood. A number of different stain colors are available.
Can’t keep it quiet
The quality and natural grain of solid wood is hard to keep quiet. Customers like Chris are sharing their love for wood and superb craftsmanship with the guest at home and the customers they meet. Come see our two showrooms and woodworking shop to see what the talk is all about. You will be amazed and see firsthand why quality speaks for itself.
by Juanita | Oct 1, 2021 | George's Furniture, RV accessories, RV Furniture
Georges Furniture – Harvest Host
We are excited to invite Harvest Host RV guests to enjoy the beautiful country side of western Lancaster County, PA. Unlike the boring crowded RV parks, our quiet location provides a tranquil place to relax in the natural surroundings of farmland. You may even see the local farmer working in his field or harvesting his crops.
What is Harvest Hosts
Harvest hosts provides unique experiences for RVers while supporting independent growers and attractions. Members access a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums, golf courses and other unique attractions, all over the United States. It is for self contained RVers that want a break from the large RV parks while supporting the local businesses. Eat farm fresh products, drink local wine and beer, explore museums and attractions while staying overnight at no additional cost. Harvesthost.com
Available sites
We offer 3 different sites for our guests.
Site A: Slight grade, easy access. Site B: level, easy access. Site C moderate grade, harder to back into space.
Access to Property
We suggest that you access Reich’s Church Road by traveling from the North. This intersection is wider to accommodate large vehicles. GPS will probably direct you from the south since it is a slightly shorter way, however the photo below demonstrated a telephone pole on the corner and a tighter turn coming from the south.
Instruction from the North:
If traveling from Route 30: take exit toward PA 441/Columbia/Marietta. 441N to Engle Rd (GPS will say Route #743 but continue on 441 for .8 miles.)
Turn Right onto Engle Road then Right on Stackstown Rd.
Right onto Reich’s Church Rd. (GPS may say you have arrived but continue down the road to the white house, red woodshop and our showroom on right.) Follow our signs to 9 Reich’s Church Road, Marietta, PA 17547
We look forward to sharing our peaceful location, wood working shop and showroom, full of quality handcrafted custom furniture.
Hosts Chris and Juanita Horst
717-201-6755
by Juanita | Sep 25, 2021 | 50th anniversary, Ava Lee's History Corner, Events, George's Furniture, Gifts, Rocking Chairs
Small Beginning
Beginning in 1969 and for many years after that, George and I had a booth at Springs Folk Festival. We sold our wooden lamps with woven veneer shades and lathe-turned candle holders. Cross-cut stools made from a log with the bark still on the edge added to the collection. However the most popular item were the engraved signs and nameplates. Each sign was made for the customer while they waited. Ray and Gloria Becker assisted with the many customers. Ray sanded and attached chain hangers to the plaques while George did the engraving. Later, as George and his craftsman started making furniture, the collection included tables, chairs, dry sinks, hutches. George’s famous non-tip rocking chairs caught a lot of attention.
The Springs Folk Festival Craft show
The town of Springs, PA is located in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. The first weekend in October was the peak for beautiful fall foliage in the area. The stand holders demonstrated their craft which added authenticity to the event. Bus loads of people from Baltimore, Washington DC and Pittsburgh came. On a beautiful Saturday, cars lined up from nearby Grantsville, MD, waiting to find parking in the grass fields around the festival. On rainy days, cars got stuck in the fields and young car parkers needed to push them out of the mud.
Food brings crowds
Several other attractions were the food made by the Amish and Mennonite cooks. Homemade bread baked in an old-time beehive-shaped bake oven. Then covered with a generous helping of apple butter, made in a large copper kettle over a fire. Special “festival sausage” made with the “whole pig”, hams and all kinds of other local favorites. As business grew, George focused his attention more at home. In recent years, the next generation owners decided to attend the Sugarloaf Craft Festivals near cities like Philadelphia, New York, Washington DC and Baltimore.
by Juanita | Sep 21, 2021 | Furniture Care, George's Furniture
How to Clean & Care for Your Solid Wood Furniture
When you have invested in beautiful pieces, you need to make sure you know how to care for your solid wood furniture. Let’s be honest. That solid wood dining table in your kitchen sure looks magnificent! Plus, because you custom designed it with our craftsmen at George’s Furniture, it matches your kitchen space perfectly. Having your family seated around it for holidays feels so good. But, now the trick is to take good care of it so you can pass it down to your children & grandchildren. Keep reading to find out how to do that.
Watch the Water Marks on Solid Wood
Caring for your solid wood furniture from George’s Furniture is simple and easy. You want to know one of the best parts about our furniture? No more water marks! The finish used on all of George’s Furniture is a durable, catalyzed conversion varnish and brings out the beautiful color and grain of the wood. The finish is actually heat and water-resistant. In fact, you do not need to use coasters for hot and cold drinks like you do with other furniture made of wood. Warm dishes will not even make white rings on the table! However, do keep in mind that if you take items directly from the oven, stovetop, or microwave, a hot pad is always suggested. Here is a good rule of thumb to take advantage of this feature: “If it is not too hot for your fingers, it will not harm the table.”
Clean Spills & Polish for Guests
Maybe someone (perhaps a little someone) spilled milk on your lovely wood kitchen table. The best way to clean that up is actually with a simple damp cloth. If you feel the need, you may use a duster spray. However, watch out for the sprays that contain wax. These sprays may cause an undesirable build-up to form on the finish over a period of time.
Those lovely little some ones might also be leaving jelly-stained fingerprints on your kitchen table or perhaps even your comfortable non-tipping rocker. (Those grandkids are cute but they are also experts at making messes!)
If you need to give your wood furniture a good polish, for example to remove fingerprints, we definitely recommend a good grade furniture polish. Our favorite polish to use is actually Old English Lemon Oil. We also highly recommend Guardsman as a good furniture polish.
Protect your Solid Wood Furniture & Avoid these Products
Remember that really durable, high quality finish is applied to each surface of our custom designed pieces to protect the wood from spills and regulate the moisture content. For it to work the best for you, you need to avoid a few products that will have an adverse chemical reaction with the finish. Those products to avoid include rubber cement & airplane glue. Permanent magic markers and cigarette burns can also cause permanent damage to the finish.
Manage Scratches & Dents
Of course, as an owner of solid wood furniture, you need to watch out for scratches in the finish & dents in the wood. Here are some ways to be mindful of scratches & dents.
- Be careful not to slide heavy objects across the table or counters on dressers, etc.
- A staple or even a hard crumb could cause surface scratch or indentation.
- If the damage is a deep scratch or dent and the finish is broken, the damage can be minimized.
- First, soak the dent with a water saturated washcloth for several hours.
- Then, while protecting it with a damp washcloth, apply a steam iron to the dent.
- This process will help swell the dent out to the original level. We are always happy to advise you on this process over the phone as well.
Refinishing Your Solid Wood Table After Years of Service
The important thing to remember? This is solid wood furniture which can be refinished. Since we have been in business more than 50 years, we have already had families who bought a table when their children were small. Then, when their family was older, they brought the table back to us and we refinished the table top to look as good as new. If you are interested in getting your table refinished, you can conveniently call us at 1(800) 799-1685 to discuss an estimate.
Ultimately, our goal since the beginning when George built his first rocking chair is to build the highest quality handcrafted custom solid wood furniture that is easy to care for and will exceed your expectations for years to come. We love it when you visit our showroom & woodshop to begin creating your dream piece of furniture. Our craftsmen are eager to bring your dreams into reality. Get started now by downloading our guide to spotting quality furniture.
