Walk down Main Street in High Point, NC on a regular Tuesday and it feels like an ordinary mid-sized Southern city. Population about 115,000. Universities, shopping centers, a baseball stadium, the usual things.
Twice a year, in April and October, that same city doubles. Eighty thousand furniture industry professionals from over 100 countries descend on High Point for a week. Twelve million square feet of showroom space across 180 buildings open their doors. Hotels are sold out within a 60-mile radius. Restaurants stay open past midnight. Every flight into Piedmont Triad International Airport is full. The total economic impact each year exceeds eight billion dollars.
This is the High Point Market — the largest home furnishings trade show in the world. And it's been happening here, in this specific North Carolina town, since 1909.
I've been making bench-made furniture in High Point for over a decade. People ask me regularly: why here? Why does a city of 115,000 people in central North Carolina dominate the global furniture industry rather than, say, New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles? The answer is a combination of geography, history, infrastructure, and one specific group of ambitious men in 1909 who decided to build something.
This article tells that story. We'll cover the geographic and historical reasons High Point became a furniture manufacturing center in the late 1800s, the founding of the Southern Furniture Market in 1909, the rise of High Point as "the Furniture Capital of the World," the challenges from imported furniture starting in the 1990s, and the current state of the industry in 2026.
The Setup: Why North Carolina at All?
To understand why High Point became the furniture capital, you first have to understand why North Carolina became furniture country in the first place. Three factors:
Factor 1: The hardwood forests
North Carolina sits in the middle of the Eastern Hardwood Forest, one of the largest temperate hardwood ecosystems on Earth. According to USDA Forest Service inventory data, North Carolina has roughly 18.6 million acres of forestland, of which the majority is hardwood-dominant.
The species are exactly what furniture makers need: white oak, red oak, hard maple, soft maple, cherry, walnut, hickory, and yellow pine. The state's hardwood inventory contains the entire palette of American furniture wood. In the late 1800s, before transportation networks made it economical to ship lumber long distances, having the wood right there was a decisive advantage.
Factor 2: The railroad
The North Carolina Railroad was chartered in 1849 and completed in 1856. It ran from Charlotte through the central piedmont up to Goldsboro, connecting the western (manufacturing-friendly) part of the state to the eastern (port-friendly) part. High Point was so named because, at 939 feet elevation, it was the highest point on the railroad's route.
This wasn't just incidental geography. Furniture manufacturing requires both inbound material (raw wood) and outbound product (finished pieces). Without rail access, neither side of the business is economically viable beyond a small local market. High Point sat directly on the rail line, with access to both wood (from the surrounding region) and shipping (to the rest of the country).
Factor 3: The labor force
The Piedmont region of North Carolina was settled heavily by Quaker craftsmen and German immigrants in the 1700s, both groups with traditions of woodworking and craft manufacturing. By the post-Civil War era, the region had a skilled labor pool already trained in cabinet-making, joinery, and furniture construction. When industrial-scale furniture production became possible, the labor was already there.
Combined, these three factors made the High Point region uniquely suited to furniture manufacturing. The wood was there. The transportation was there. The workers were there.
1888: The First Factory
The High Point Furniture Manufacturing Company opened in 1888, making inexpensive bedroom and dining furniture using local hardwood lumber. It was the first furniture factory in High Point and one of the first in North Carolina.
The company's success demonstrated that the geographic and labor advantages translated into profitable manufacturing. Within a decade, dozens of competitors had opened. By 1900, High Point had 33 furniture plants. By 1904, that number had grown to 107 furniture plants in a city of only about 8,000 people.
This wasn't growth by national investment or government planning. It was organic accumulation — each successful factory created supplier industries (sawmills, hardware, finish suppliers, transportation companies) that made it easier for the next factory to start. Economists call this an industrial cluster, and High Point became one of the most concentrated industrial clusters in American history.
1909: The Birth of the Southern Furniture Market
By the early 1900s, High Point manufacturers had a problem. They could make plenty of furniture, but to sell it nationally, they had to ship samples to existing furniture markets in Chicago and New York. This was expensive and slow. The major markets were also dominated by Northeast and Midwest manufacturers, who had no interest in giving up market share to upstart Southerners.
The North Carolina General Assembly resolution honoring the market's centennial in 2009 documents the origin clearly: "on March 1, 1909, the first Southern Furniture Market opened in High Point to showcase the products of High Point and North Carolina furniture manufacturers... it was recognized that there was a need for a southern furniture market to compete with existing markets in Chicago, New York, and other cities."
The founders were three specific men: J.J. Farris, Charles F. Long, and D. Ralph Parker. Parker was a furniture salesman who had been trying to organize his own showcase; Farris and Long were local manufacturers and civic leaders. Originally rivals, they joined forces to create a single unified event — the first Southern Furniture Market.
The first market ran from March 1-15, 1909. It attracted buyers from across the South, the Midwest, and even (notably) the West Coast. Within a few years, it had grown into a national event.
1921: The Southern Furniture Exposition Building
The 1909 market had been hosted across multiple buildings throughout downtown High Point — wherever space was available. By 1921, the Southern Furniture Exposition Company had built a purpose-designed exhibition hall: the 249,000-square-foot Southern Furniture Exposition Building, costing $1 million (about $17 million in 2026 dollars), built in just 19 months.
The building opened June 20, 1921. It still stands today as the core of what's now the International Home Furnishings Center (IHFC), with numerous additions and expansions over the past century.
This building established the physical infrastructure that allowed the market to grow. Subsequent expansions in the 1950s, 70s, 80s, and 2000s added millions of square feet of exhibition space. By the 2020s, the High Point Market footprint had grown to over 12 million square feet across 180 buildings throughout the city.
Post-WWII: The Golden Era
The High Point Market shut down during World War II (the years 1941-1946 had only one market, in 1943) but resumed in 1947. The post-war boom that drove American consumer spending also drove the furniture industry.
According to the City of High Point's furniture history archives, in the decades following World War II, an estimated 60% of all furniture made in America was produced within a 150-mile radius of High Point. This area encompassed the Triad region of North Carolina (High Point, Winston-Salem, Greensboro) plus parts of southern Virginia.
Iconic furniture manufacturers concentrated in or near High Point during this era:
- White Furniture Company (founded 1881 in Mebane, NC — later became Hickory White)
- Stanley Furniture (founded 1924)
- Bernhardt (founded 1889 in nearby Lenoir, NC)
- Drexel Heritage (founded 1903 in Drexel, NC)
- Henredon (founded 1945 in Morganton, NC)
- Klaussner (founded 1963)
- Broyhill (founded 1926 in Lenoir, NC)
The concentration of these manufacturers within driving distance of High Point reinforced the market's dominance. Buyers from across the country could see virtually every American furniture manufacturer in one week, in one city.
1980-2010: The Import Challenge
The dominance didn't last forever. Starting in the 1980s and accelerating through the 1990s and 2000s, imported furniture — primarily from China and Vietnam — disrupted American furniture manufacturing. The math was simple: Chinese factory workers earned a fraction of what American factory workers earned, and shipping containers full of furniture across the Pacific Ocean turned out to be surprisingly economical.
According to American Home Furnishings Alliance industry data, imports went from less than 10% of US furniture sales in 1990 to over 70% by 2010. Major American furniture manufacturers either closed factories, moved production overseas, or both. White Furniture closed in 2002. Henredon's main factory closed in 2018. Broyhill closed multiple facilities. The roster of furniture manufacturing jobs in North Carolina dropped by more than half between 1995 and 2015.
You'd expect this to have killed High Point as a furniture center. It didn't. Three reasons.
Reason 1: The Market itself became the product
The High Point Market wasn't just where local manufacturers sold their goods. It was where the global furniture industry came together. Even as manufacturing moved overseas, importers, distributors, and brands still needed a place to show their products to retailers. The market's infrastructure — the showrooms, the logistics, the hospitality network — was more valuable than the local manufacturing it had originally served.
Today, the High Point Market features exhibitors from across the world. Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, and Indonesian furniture brands show alongside the surviving American manufacturers. The market became internationally diverse rather than dying.
Reason 2: High-end and custom furniture survived
Imported furniture competes on price. High-end, custom, and bench-made furniture competes on quality, design, and craftsmanship. The premium end of the market — the part that customers buy for heirloom quality — stayed in America, and much of it stayed in North Carolina.
Manufacturers like Hickory White, Maitland-Smith, and Hancock & Moore continued building in North Carolina, focusing on the segment of the market that couldn't be cost-competed by overseas producers. Smaller bench-made shops like ours (Design 59, in High Point since 2015) opened to serve customers who specifically wanted American-made quality.
Reason 3: Upholstery never left
Wood furniture can be shipped efficiently in flat-pack form. Upholstered furniture cannot — the foam and fabric content makes shipping containers prohibitively expensive on a per-piece basis. As a result, upholstered furniture manufacturing has stayed largely American, and a significant portion of it has stayed in North Carolina.
The Hickory and High Point areas remain the world's largest concentration of upholstered furniture makers. Brands like Bernhardt, Lee Industries, and Lexington Furniture continue manufacturing upholstery domestically.
The Current State: 2026
As of 2026, the High Point Market is the largest home furnishings trade show in the world. Key statistics:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total exhibition space | 12+ million square feet |
| Buildings hosting showrooms | 180+ |
| Exhibitors per market | ~2,000 |
| Attendees per market (twice yearly) | 70,000-80,000 |
| Countries represented (visitors) | 100+ |
| Annual economic impact | $6.7B-$8.25B |
| Jobs supported in Triad region | 69,000+ |
The April and October markets each attract tens of thousands of furniture buyers, designers, manufacturers, and industry professionals. The October market is typically the larger of the two, focused on new product launches for the spring retail season.
According to a 2018 Duke University economic impact study, the High Point Market generates $6.7 billion in economic activity annually. The North Carolina Department of Commerce has cited figures as high as $8.25 billion when broader regional impact is included.
Why "Furniture Capital of the World" Is Still Accurate
The phrase "Furniture Capital of the World" sounds like marketing puffery. But for High Point, it's literal:
- No other city hosts a larger home furnishings trade show
- No other region has a higher concentration of furniture industry firms (manufacturing, design, distribution, retail)
- No other location is where global furniture industry decisions are made
- Pricing for the next year's retail furniture lines is effectively set at High Point Market
- New product designs are launched at High Point Market before being shown elsewhere
The State of North Carolina officially recognized this with a historical highway marker dedicated in 2014 to the High Point Market, acknowledging the city's role in the furniture industry. Governor McCrory and Cultural Resources Secretary Susan Kluttz attended the dedication, signaling official state acknowledgment of High Point's status.
The Renaissance of Bench-Made Furniture
One unexpected outcome of the import-driven manufacturing decline in High Point: it created space for smaller, craft-focused furniture makers to flourish. With the big factories closing or shrinking, skilled craftspeople started independent shops focused on the quality-and-craftsmanship segment.
Our shop, Design 59, is one example. Founded in 2015 in High Point, we make wood furniture parts (table legs, pedestal bases, sofa legs, ottomans, dog beds) by hand in the same regional tradition that built the city's reputation a century ago. We're not unique — dozens of similar craft furniture shops have opened in the High Point area over the past 15 years.
This renaissance is part of why "bench-made" furniture is having a moment commercially. Customers tired of disposable mass-produced furniture are seeking out the alternative — and the alternative is concentrated in the same place American furniture has always been made.
For a detailed comparison of bench-made vs mass-produced furniture, see our bench-made guide.
What This Means for Furniture Buyers
If you're buying furniture in 2026, High Point's history matters in practical ways:
- The High Point Market sets industry trends. The styles you see in retail showrooms 6-12 months from now were launched at High Point. The patterns, finishes, and design directions are decided here.
- Many American-made brands trace to High Point. When you buy Hancock & Moore, Bernhardt, Lexington, Maitland-Smith, Hickory White, or any of dozens of other premium American furniture brands, you're buying products with roots in this region.
- The supply chain still runs through High Point. Even imported furniture often passes through High Point's distribution networks. North Carolina is the dominant logistics hub for the American furniture industry.
- Craft furniture is alive here. If you want bench-made, hand-crafted furniture, High Point and the surrounding Triad region offer more options than anywhere else in the country.
Visiting High Point Market
The High Point Market is primarily a trade event, not open to the general public. You need to be in the furniture industry — a retailer, designer, manufacturer, journalist, or trade professional — to register. Markets run twice yearly:
- Spring Market: Late April (typically the last full week)
- Fall Market: Mid-October (typically mid-month)
For interior designers and serious furniture buyers who want to experience the market, the High Point Market Authority offers limited public passes through their website. Outside of market weeks, many showrooms host visitors by appointment.
FAQs: High Point Furniture History
Why is High Point, NC called the Furniture Capital of the World?
Because it hosts the largest home furnishings trade show in the world (High Point Market), has historically been the center of American furniture manufacturing, and remains the global hub for furniture industry deals and design direction.
When did High Point become a furniture center?
The first furniture factory (High Point Furniture Manufacturing Company) opened in 1888. By 1904, the city had 107 furniture factories. The Southern Furniture Market launched in 1909, cementing High Point's role as the industry's center.
How many people attend the High Point Market?
70,000-80,000 furniture industry professionals attend each market. There are two markets per year, in April and October, so total annual attendance is 140,000-160,000.
How long is the High Point Market?
Each market runs approximately five days. Setup takes several days before; teardown several days after. The actual buying activity happens during the five-day market period.
Who founded the High Point Furniture Market?
Three men: J.J. Farris, Charles F. Long, and D. Ralph Parker. They founded what was originally called the Southern Furniture Market in 1909.
What's the economic impact of High Point Market?
A 2018 Duke University study estimated $6.7 billion annually. More recent estimates from the North Carolina Department of Commerce have cited figures as high as $8.25 billion when broader regional impact is included.
Is most American furniture still made in High Point?
Manufacturing has declined significantly since the 1990s due to imports. However, North Carolina remains the largest furniture-manufacturing state in America, and High Point remains the industry's commercial center. High-end and custom furniture continues to be made in the region.
What furniture brands are headquartered in High Point?
Many. Notable ones include: Klaussner, Stanley Furniture, Universal Furniture, Schnadig, and dozens of smaller specialty manufacturers. The broader Triad region also includes Bernhardt (Lenoir), Hickory White, Henredon, and Maitland-Smith.
Why did furniture manufacturing decline in High Point?
Imported furniture from China and Vietnam beginning in the 1990s. Lower overseas labor costs made it impossible for American manufacturers of basic furniture to compete on price. High-end and upholstered furniture (which is harder to ship) survived; lower-end wood furniture largely moved overseas.
Can I tour furniture factories in High Point?
Most factories don't offer regular tours, but some artisan shops and smaller manufacturers welcome visitors by appointment. The High Point Furniture Museum and the Furniture Discovery Center (when open) offer historical exhibits.
What's the High Point Furniture Museum?
A museum dedicated to the history of furniture manufacturing in North Carolina, located in High Point. It houses exhibits on the industry's history, antique furniture, and historical manufacturing equipment. Worth a visit if you're in the area.
Bottom Line
High Point became the Furniture Capital of the World through a combination of geographic luck (hardwood forests + railroad access), labor advantage (skilled regional craftspeople), entrepreneurial vision (three founders who created the Southern Furniture Market in 1909), and a century of organic industrial growth.
The manufacturing landscape has changed dramatically since the 1990s, with imports taking over the low-end market. But the city's role as the global center of the furniture industry hasn't diminished — it's evolved. The market itself has become more valuable than any individual factory.
For those of us still making bench-made furniture here, the history matters. We're working in the same tradition that built this city over 130 years. Our shop has been building wood furniture parts in High Point since 2015, continuing a craft tradition with roots back to the Quaker and German immigrant woodworkers who settled this region in the 1700s.
If you're curious what bench-made furniture from a High Point shop looks like, browse our leg collection or our pedestal and trestle bases. Every piece is made in High Point, by craftspeople who are part of this city's furniture heritage.
Further Reading
- Bench-Made vs Mass-Produced Furniture
- White Oak vs Red Oak
- Build a Trestle Table That Doesn't Wobble
- Parawood: Our Standard Wood
Sources
- City of High Point, Furniture History archives (highpointnc.gov/841/Furniture-History).
- North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, High Point Market historical highway marker documentation.
- North Carolina General Assembly, House Joint Resolution 1538 (Resolution 2009-21), honoring the founders of the High Point Furniture Market.
- Duke University Center for Globalization, Governance and Competitiveness. 2018 Economic Impact Study of High Point Market.
- USDA Forest Service, North Carolina Forest Inventory and Analysis data.
- American Home Furnishings Alliance, Industry Manufacturing Data 2024.
- Catherine W. Bishir and Michael T. Southern. "The Building at Fifty: The Southern Furniture Exposition Building" (1971).
- Bennington, Richard. High Point University and the Furniture Industry. Arcadia Publishing.