There have been requests to expand on a book Emmett Eldred published in 2005 (Eldred Wheeler: A Collector’s Guide). The site provides additional information on many of the company’s original products as well as some of the accessories it offered. The former owner of the company also produced several beautiful color catalogs which are a great reference on some of the later products.

Hopefully, this site will become a useful reference source for Eldred Wheeler furniture.

Using the site:

Each topic in a section has a designated page where related PDFs are listed. Typically, there is a sentence or two about each PDF. Clicking on the blue highlighted word, More, takes you to the PDF. When finished reading the PDF, you can close the PDF window, and you will be returned to the site.

You can also view a PDF of Eldred Wheeler: A Collector’s Guide by click on it whenever it is highlighted in blue. The Eldred Wheeler book also lists most period-style pieces the company made. Click here to view the book’s Appendix, which pictures the various pieces and also the quantities made up until 2005 (best to select two-page view after opening). For links to outside websites, you should push the go back icon to return to the site.

Background

Bill Wheeler and Emmett Eldred founded Eldred Wheeler in 1977.

Bill and Emmett sold the company to Chartwell in 1987. Emmett remained with the company until 1989. Bill left a year after Emmett. Dave McCarthy joined Eldred Wheeler as head of operations shortly after it was sold to Chartwell. Dave was able to purchase the company in 1993 from a group of investors, including Emmett, who repurchased it after Chartwell declared bankruptcy in 1990. The company changed ownership several times after that and closed its doors in 2019. The company had been in business for 42 years since opening its first shop in Hanson, Massachusetts.

The original goal in founding Eldred Wheeler was to create 18th Century American country high-style pieces in the same way they were handcrafted during colonial times. With the exception of a few coffee tables and various bed sizes, the company pretty much kept to that theme during its first two decades.

Above are some pictures of the early years at Eldred Wheeler. One is of Bill and Emmett in their newly opened workshop in Hanson, MA. They only had four employees at that time. Another is Emmett helping craft a blockfront chest prototype, and the last shows Dave McCarthy and Russ Borden delivering a step-back cupboard. Below are additional pictures depicting the “Eldred Wheeler crew” in their expanded shop two years later in Pembroke, MA; Eldred Wheeler’s longtime subcontractor, Jesse Meyer, turning a candlestand post in his shop; and finally prototype specialist, Walter Holmes, working on a Chippendale chair splat.