Wooton Desk

Indianapolis, Indiana, was a center of furniture manufacturing when William S. Wooton came to town in 1870. Wooton set up his own company in Indianapolis, which made school, office, and church furniture. In 1874 he patented “Wooton’s Patent Cabinet Office Secretary,” the first of the famous desks. The Wooton desk was made in sections with numerous cubbyholes and drawers. The desk had hinged sides and was made to be closed or even locked at night. It furnished security while the office was cleaned. The desks were very heavy, but they were made on bracket feet with rollers and could be moved easily.