Posted 10 years ago
jordan1inv…
(1 item)
This chair came from my grandmother (98 yrs old) who has owned it since or before her first child was born (my father, in 1941) so I'm not too sure what year it was manufactured and would love some input, although I do know its earliest possible date is 1907-08 as this is when the two names (Nichols/Stone) came together. I believe my grandmas brother (Rip was his name), who is older and who was either 4 or 5 at the time scratched his name in the seat, which would prove it's maybe older than 1941? It's an authentic Nichols and Stone Windsor or Boston rocker from the stamp on the bottom I've included, which was burnt or pressed in. I believe it is Walnut and the finish was dark with the fruit and other stuff scrolled on the top and gold painting around the rings, etc. This was the only item that made it through the Great Depression in the family. I believe a similar rocker was traded for a turkey on Christmas, as the story goes. The seat is curved and pointed into them middle. I have no clue what it is worth or age, any help here would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jordan
Nichols & Stone can be contacted at their website. They have a historian who can help you date your chair. He does not do valuations. Good luck.
Jen
I have a chair that, I believe, is exactly like this one. I purchased it in the early '70s. I'm just curious if you ever found out its age or worth.
I actually found this exact same rocker in a local thrift store. Had the same image design across the headrest and everything. I did contact Nichols and Stone as well to find out more on this rocker, and...sorry to say, its not as old as you think it is. This is called their 945 Sugarback Rocker that was first manufactured in the 1970's and through the 1980's. Here's the info they sent me:
The 546 Sugarbush Rocker were introduced into the Nichols & Stone line circa 1970. The thick seat is made of White Pine and the structural members of the chair are made of Birch. The design continued in production through the 1980's. This design was finished in a solid wood tone color stain and an optional stenciling application could be applied for an upcharge. The Sugarbush Rocker was the most popular selling item for Nichols & Stone in the 1970's. It was named after Sugarbush Mountain in Warren VT.
They even sent me a picture of the rocker from their 1970 Consumer Catalog.
Still, even if its not as old as you thought, its a beautifully made chair and these are made to last! It could be a family heirloom since rockers like these are few and far between these days. Hope you take good care of it! I will take good care of mine now that I have it. :D
We purchased the Sugarbush 546 rocker when we first arrived in Vermont in 1976. Ironically, it was something my husband "had to have" He found it was the best piece of furniture for supporting the back (he is a now retired chiropractor) It was his chair :-) For years we have looked for another and just recently found the exact rocker match just an hour's drive from us which is in "like new" condition. The owner stated she purchased it in 1 981. Visitors to our home always go directly to the rocker and at times would argue over it. Well, now we have two. According to information we received from Nichols and Stone in March 2019, "The Sugarbush Rocker was the most popular selling item for N&S in the 1970's." Too bad they discontinued making them. We love our Sugarbush 546 rockers as do young and old alike (male and female) who visit our home.
I see the last comment was a year ago and the thread is 6 years old, but I need to post this because the original post was correct and a couple of the later posts are misleading. Like the original poster, I also own a black stenciled Nichols and Stone rocker--always referred to in my family as "the Boston rocker"--that I was led to believe was my grandmother's. I've possessed it now since at least the beginning of the 1980s, but it was in my family from before I was born in 1954. It may well have been my grandmother's--she passed away in 1946. Because I can't account for anything before I had any memories of our home when I was two years old and this rocking chair was there in 1956--this chair is absolutely no younger than 65 years old. I'm thinking it's probably closer to 85 years and possibly a little older than that. Unfortunately. my mother passed away three years ago at age 100 so I can't ask her.
More unfortunately. what led me here is I'm looking at these chairs again because my "family" chair needs restoration. Decades of wax and other age-related product damage needed to be removed and the finish was damaged in an attempt to do that. I haven't been able to find a professional to deal with it and I'm considering replacing it because it's pretty unsightly. I don't know if it can be restored.
I'm finding that these chairs are pretty ubiquitous and have so many different styles, it's a bit overwhelming. Before buying a "new" one, I don't want someone try to sell me something that is purported to be more than what it really is. I have what I know to be an "old" chair based on my personal ownership/experience. I see high values put on 1980s versions of this chair and wonder why when there are similar chairs of the same/similar vintage in perfect condition that are priced significantly less. I guess I should contact N&S to see if they have any advice about getting this old chair restored.
I found your chair it's a 1970 nichols and stone pine chair, it's going for 299.00. I hope this helps some.
Thanks Christine, but if you were posting for me, I already own that chair and the issue is about the finish on it. I also mentioned that my chair is NOT from the 1970s because I have lived with the chair since the early 1950s and it was in my family before that. I am sure my mother had the chair BEFORE I was born in 1954 so it's much older than the 1970s vintage chairs. It may be as old as 100 years old because I was led to believe as a child that the chair belonged to my mother's mother who passed away in 1946. My mother's family lived in Lowell, Mass, which is about an hour from Gardner, Mass where the Nichols and Stone chairs were made. The best guess is the chair would have been purchased prior to the Depression. Unfortunately. nobody in my mother's generation is alive and my sister is the only one older than me to corroborate that the chair was always in the family during our lifetime, but that still takes it back 75 years from now. My chair has 69-6 written on the bottom, meaning it was a 69-6D model or a Salem Rocker. In my searching, I've only seen one other Salem that I vetted with the seller (who did not know what he had) against my own chair. I did purchase it hedging against the chance that my chair cannot be saved in its original finish.
After doing more research, I found a company brochure in PDF format from the Gardner, MA historical site that others interested in N&S furniture might find helpful. It was printed in 1957. Here's the link:
https://ia800401.us.archive.org/4/items/NicholsStoneColonialChairs/Nichols%20Stone%20Colonial%20Chairs.pdf