About
Quality and value for almost two centuries.
Hinkle Chair Company® is still a family-owned and operated business run by the 6th generation of Hinkles - William Hinkle, Jr. and Jeff Hinkle. Remember, whenever you purchase your next rocking chair, insist that it is a genuine Hinkle rocker. The quality and comfort of your Hinkle products are carved out of 189-plus years of tradition.
Where it all began...
The Rev. Anthony Jacob Henckel emigrated from Germany in 1717 with his wife Mary Elizabeth and their eight children, settling in Germantown, PA near Philadelphia. The spelling of their last name was changed from Henckel to Hinkle in 1797. In 1803, Rev. Henckel\u2019s great-grandson Anthony and his wife Catherine Nancy Frey moved their family to Robertson County in northern middle Tennessee. The last of their eight children, Andrew Hinkle, was born in 1815 and is recognized as the founder of Hinkle Chair Company.
Andrew Hinkle was a farmer, but he and his family supplemented their income by making ladder-back chairs. During the hot summer months, the family would hand-carve chair frames out of oak, hickory and beech. During the winter months when the crops had been harvested and the fields were laid by, the family worked indoors weaving the seats using hand-cut strips of various hardwoods and assembling the finished chairs. Andrew and his wife Catherine had twelve children; among them was Henry Ywell who was born in 1860. Henry Hinkle continued in his father\u2019s footsteps, farming during the growing season and producing ladder-back chairs during the cold winter months to help support the family. Henry and his wife Eva had five children, including Willie Bell who was born in 1896.
Six generations of excellence.
In the 1980s, as the company grew, several new buildings were added including a showroom and a new finishing system. New styles of rockers and chairs were added to the product line along with dining room tables, hutch, and buffets. In 1990 after the death of his father, William Hinkle Jr. took over as CEO of the company, and today along with his brother Jeff and sister Diane, Hinkle Chair Company\u00ae is still a family-owned and operated business. A sixth generation was welcomed to the company in 2014 when William\u2019s son, Brad Hinkle came on board.
A front row seat to history
More than just a chair, we've been helping families like yours create memories for 190 years and counting...
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1717The start...The Rev. Anthony Jacob Henckel emigrated from Germany in 1717 with his wife Mary Elizabeth and their...
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1776Declaration of IndependenceAdopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political...
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1797The Hinkle NameThe spelling of their last name was changed from Henckel to Hinkle in 1797.Read More
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1803Tennessee boundIn 1803, Rev. Henckel’s great grandson Anthony and his wife Catherine Nancy Frey moved their family...
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1812War of 1812The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the United States and its allies, and the United Kingdom...
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1815The birth of a founderThe youngest of eight - Andrew Hinkle, was born in 1815 and is recognized as the founder of Hinkle Chair...
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1834Hinkle Chair Company®Andrew Hinkle began Hinkle Chair Company® weaving the seats using hand cut strips of various hardwoods...
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1860Henry Hinkle was bornHenry Hinkle continued in his father’s footsteps, farming during the growing season and producing ladder...
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1861Civil War beginsThe American Civil War was a civil war in the United States from 1861 to 1865, fought between northern...
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1896Willie Bell Hinkle was bornBorn in 1896, Willie Bell would eventually wed Ellie Mae Clinard in 1915. They continued the family...
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1914World War I beginsThe start of World War I.Read More
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1917William Winford Hinkle was bornWilliam Winford Hinkle was born in 1917 just prior to the close of World War I and before the onset of...
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1939World War II beginsWorld War II was the biggest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries.
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1932The first Hinkle factory...A small country store and a tobacco barn served as a makeshift factory and as production increased...
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