Feature Story : Farmerstown Furniture
Farmerstown Furniture offers fine crafted furniture for over three decades
By Jennifer Kneuss
Handcrafted furniture of the very highest quality is what you will find in the over 5,000-square-foot showroom of Farmerstown Furniture, located between Farmerstown and Charm, Ohio. The Hershberger family, with Merle Hershberger at the helm of operations, has been building and providing the best in Amish-made furniture at the same location for more than 37 years, and their experience is evident in each piece of furniture they sell.
The pieces in the Hershbergers’ gallery of furniture are carefully created by dozens of different craftsmen, each excelling in specific types of work. Dining room sets of all sizes, beautifully crafted bedroom sets, and unique yet functional home and office furniture are all featured. Strikingly different entertainment centers are made from the finest woods, and then specially finished for surfaces as smooth as the custom cut glass that may adorn their doors. There are lovely rockers throughout the store, including those sized for the tiniest guests. The store carries furniture that ‘grows’ with a child – the cribs convert to youth beds and changing tables become dressers for little ones. Pint-sized doll cribs, rocking horses, and even a unique highchair that quickly and easily converts to a rocker or child’s desk are all featured on Farmerstown Furniture’s upper floor, along with creative shelving and decorative items.
A full line of environmentally friendly outdoor furniture has been added this year, all built from poly lumber, a product made from recycled plastics. The no-maintenance furniture, including picnic tables, is exhibited on the store’s lower level. Farmerstown Furniture is also in the process of adding upholstered, wood-frame pieces, such as mission-style chairs and couches, to their inventory for those who prefer a softer surface.
The pieces in the showroom are not only functional, but also very beautiful. “We use primarily white oak, cherry, maple, hickory, brown maple, or rustic cherry,” explained Hershberger. The Hershberger family’s specialty is in creating one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture, made to the customers’ specifications. “It’s basically unlimited. Pretty much what they say they want, we can do it. We have our own finish shop, so we can do custom finishes.” Orders have encompassed all types of furniture, including a 15-foot long entertainment center, which had to be made in three separate units. Custom-built kitchen islands are also in demand from cooks looking to maximize use of their food preparation areas.
Visitors will find not only furniture, but also quaint, vintage-style metal advertising signs and a wide selection of hardware available in the store. “One of the things that makes us different from the other furniture stores is that we have a complete line of restoration and also new, modern furniture cabinet hardware,” said Hershberger. The line includes spindles and other supplies for do-it-yourselfers and hobbyists. Special pieces can be custom ordered.
With their breathtaking display of fine furniture, crafted by the best artisans in Amish Country, and their very friendly and personalized service, Farmerstown Furniture is a must-stop on any tour of the countryside. Customers delight in being able to choose exactly the right piece, knowing that anything they purchase from the Hershberger family will have a treasured place in their home for many years to come. Times change. Quality shouldn’t.
Farmerstown Furniture is located at 3155 state Route 557, Baltic 43804, one mile west of Farmerstown and three miles east of Charm, in the furniture heartland of Ohio’s Amish Country. Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Like most other businesses in Holmes County, the store is closed on Sundays. For more information, call 330-897-0406 or fax us at 330-897-7960.
