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WINGDALE, N.Y. – Among the colors of autumn foliage, Hunt Country Furniture
marked its 100th anniversary on Thursday, October 22, with a ceremony that also celebrated the groundbreaking of Hunt Craft Village. Nearly 100 guests attended, including town and county officials, local leaders, residents, and Hunt employees and their families.

Hunt Craft Village is a new initiative to carry forward the legacy of Webatuck Craft Village, the Wingdale landmark that was once home to independent artisans such as woodworkers, potters, glassblowers and blacksmiths. Like its predecessor, the new village is meant to be a place where the highest standards of craftsmanship are practiced and passed on. Its aim is to cultivate the next generation of skilled makers.
The planned campus brings together the Hunt Country Furniture factory on Dog Tail Corners Road, the historic 1747 building where the ceremony took place, and additional buildings. Plans also call for a new giant chair at the nearby intersection with Route 55, in the spirit of the company's famous Big Chair.

The program, themed “Honoring Our Past. Crafting Our Future.,” took place on the grounds of the company's historic building, which dates to 1747. Guests gathered beneath a tent decorated with pumpkins, cornstalks and chrysanthemums, seated in Hunt-made chairs. Nearby stood a scaled-down replica of the giant Big Chair. In 1979, the company's 25-foot fireside chair was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest chair.

Todd Gazzoli, Operations Manager, who has worked at Hunt Country Furniture for 42 years, presided over the program. He welcomed guests, introduced the speakers and shared his own reflections on four decades with the company, including his memories of working with company founder Lockwood Hunt. He also said that milestone anniversaries do not come around often, and that being part of this one was deeply encouraging.

CEO Lucia Bartovic thanked those who came. She spoke about the importance of
carrying handcrafted work forward in an increasingly digital age. She credited Hunt Country Furniture with a century of contributions to that tradition. She said Hunt Craft Village, which will include a craft school, will help pass these traditional skills on to the next generation.

Guests then watched an anniversary video that traced the company's story from its roots. In the early 1920s, Lillian Hunt began restoring antique furniture. Her son Lockwood Hunt took to repairing and then building pieces by hand, and in 1926 he opened “The Lockwood Hunt Shop” on the family homestead in Wingdale. His brother Julian Hunt soon joined him, and Lockwood's son Shelley Hunt followed. The three became the company's partners as Hunt Country Furniture. The video also covered the company's growth over the past century. Presenters then laid out the vision for Hunt Craft Village, “Restoring a Village Built on American Craftsmanship,” with an aerial rendering of the planned village on display. The vision drew strong interest from attendees.

Several public officials offered remarks:
• Town of Dover Supervisor Rich Yeno shared a personal memory. His family has
cherished Hunt furniture for more than 50 years, and he said he is still making memories today, including watching Yankees games at home while sitting in a Hunt chair. With a touch of humor, he joked that the Yankees' recent losses have made for some tough viewing. He praised the quality of Hunt's craftsmanship and congratulated the company on its centennial.
• Dutchess County Legislator Andrew J. House (District 24, representing Dover and Pawling) congratulated Hunt Country Furniture. On behalf of the Dutchess County Legislature, he presented the company with a framed Certificate of Recognition honoring its 100th anniversary.
• Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino congratulated the company and said she was encouraged to see a project in the region that lifts up craftsmanship. She presented Hunt Country Furniture with a Proclamation honoring its 100th anniversary and a Certificate of
Recognition celebrating the groundbreaking of Hunt Craft Village.

Hunt Country Furniture department leaders and employees came together for the anniversary cake-cutting. Guests then gathered outdoors in front of the historic building and the Big Chair replica to watch as local elected officials and Hunt representatives cut a red “Groundbreaking Ceremony” ribbon, marking the start of Hunt Craft Village.
Following the ceremonies, guests enjoyed a reception with refreshments. Each
attendee received a gift bag containing a cutting board handcrafted from wood by Hunt Country Furniture.

Hunt furniture, together with historic photographs, documents, and artifacts from the company’s 100-year history, were displayed in the historic 1747 building, allowing visitors to experience Hunt’s past and present side by side. The building recently received a new roof as an important first step in its preservation and will undergo further restoration to preserve its historic character for generations to come.

More information about the project is available at huntcraftvillage.com.
About Hunt Country Furniture
Hunt Country Furniture began in 1926, when Lockwood Hunt opened a small workshop on the Hunt family homestead in Wingdale, New York. Today, the family-founded company continues to handcraft solid-wood furniture using traditional joinery and techniques. It is based in Wingdale, in the Town of Dover, Dutchess County. Learn more at huntcountryfurniture.com.