Q: What can you tell me about a Mission settee that has been in my family for more than 65 years? It’s oak with no upholstery. The back has vertical slats and the seat lifts up on hinges to reveal a storage area. The printed label on the bottom says, “R.S. Nicholson Co., Jax., Fla.” and “Warsaw Furn. Mfg. Co., Warsaw, Ky.”

A: Warsaw Furniture Manufacturing Co. was in business from around the turn of the 20th century until at least the 1930s. The company is listed in a 1937 Grand Rapids, Mich., furniture show magazine. R.S. Nicholson was probably the retail store where the settee was originally purchased. The Mission style (also called “Arts and Crafts”) was at its peak of popularity during the first two decades of the 20th century, so that’s probably when your settee was made. Settees with storage under the seat were meant to be kept in a front hall. You could sit on the settee to remove your boots, then store them with your hat and gloves under the seat. Mission settees by famous makers like Gustav Stickley sell for thousands. Yours, by a relatively unknown maker, is worth a few hundred dollars.

Leave a Reply

Featured Articles