PEEKING INTO THE PAST: Albemarle Furniture and Manufacturing Company
Published 3:23 pm Tuesday, January 16, 2024
The Albemarle Furniture and Manufacturing Company was incorporated in April 1901. The capital stock was initially $2,500, but according to newspaper accounts they had permission to raise it to $10,000. Rufus A. Crowell was chosen the first president and John Snotherly became the secretary and treasurer of the of the company. By mid-1905, the annual production of the business was valued at $40,000. This was considered such a success that in October 1905, the company installed new machinery that would double its capacity. In August 1911, the company was reorganized. The capital stock was increased from $10,000 to $25,000 and they erected new buildings and added additional machinery. A.P. Harris was chosen as the new president. Unfortunately, this reorganization was short-lived, and the company went bankrupt the following year in August 1912. The location of this business is unclear. The 1908 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map states that the factory was 1.5 miles northeast of the courthouse, but the exact location is not shown. {Today’s picture is a portion of the 1908 Sanborn map that shows the buildings that were a part of this business} {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}