Company behind Billy Graham Library dining room furniture plans craft village at historic site

A furniture company that helped furnish the Billy Graham Library is working to reopen a historic furniture complex with ties to a colonial-era Protestant mission group as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. 

Hunt Country Furniture, based in Wingdale, New York, celebrated its 100th anniversary at a ceremony Oct. 22 at the site of the former Webatuck Craft Village. The ceremony also included the groundbreaking of the new Hunt Craft Village at the historic site, which dates to the 18th century. The first phase of the project is scheduled for completion in two years.

Hunt Country Furniture CEO Lucia Bartovic told The Christian Post that Webatuck Craft Village closed in the 1980s and that the company acquired it about a decade ago. 

“This vision, that’s not something that developed overnight. It’s something that was developing over [the] past several years,” she said. “We realized that there is an opportunity to do something bigger than just simply continue manufacturing furniture, but we wanted to really create a place that … celebrates American craftsmanship, that preserves those traditional skills, supports local artists and provides educational opportunities as well.” 

A rendering on the official website shows the original 1747 building, which formed the center of Webatuck Craft Village, repainted white. The craft village has connections to the Moravian community, a group of Protestants who established missions in the early United States focused on “education” and “skilled trades,” as well as establishing “peaceful relations with Native peoples.” 

One mission was established near the site but disbanded shortly before the 1747 building was completed. The Moravians, who saw work like craftsmanship, education, hospitality and community as service and worship, shared their passion for craftsmanship with the Mahican people. 

Calling Moravians “one of the oldest” Protestant denominations, Bartovic said, “Moravian history is not simply something that we want to only display in an exhibition, but it’s part of the heritage and values that help shape the hope and future for Hunt Craft Village.”

Additional features of Hunt Craft Village will include a new showroom and a book cafe in an existing building. The showroom will display products manufactured by Hunt Country Furniture, while the book cafe will let visitors “relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, and explore a thoughtfully curated collection of books.” The building will overlook a body of water. 

A gallery and studio, also in an existing building, will celebrate the work of artists and craftspeople "who keep traditional creative skills alive.” Visitors will be able to explore fine art exhibitions featuring art forms like pottery, sculpture, woodworking and other handcrafted works. It will also feature working studios and demonstrations.

A village administration building will serve as Hunt Craft Village's headquarters. The Heritage Craft Trail will surround the new community and let visitors “experience the area’s history, enjoy the beauty of the river and lake, and discover the connection between nature, craftsmanship, and local heritage.” 

Hunt Country Furniture has completed many projects over the years, including furnishing the dining room at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina, with 395 custom chairs and 38 custom round tables. A year later, the company was asked to furnish the dining room at the North Carolina headquarters of Samaritan’s Purse with 280 chairs, 38 round tables and three rectangular tables. Samaritan’s Purse is an Evangelical charity that works closely with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. 

In a bid to "inspire the next generation of makers," Hunt Craft Village will also include the Hunt Trade and Craft School to teach students and apprentices traditional skills from experienced craftspeople. A rendering shows the school building with solar panels. The school will be part of the project’s second phase, which will be completed later. 

“The trade school is one of the most meaningful parts of our long-term vision because I could really see as I was working in the business and the factory trying to hire people, it’s really difficult to find skilled craft people," Bartovic said.

Being the mother of four school-age boys has shaped Bartovic's personal “conviction" about building this village and has enabled her to “personally see the importance of creating opportunities for young people to learn practical hands-on skills.”

She fears that "children spend too much time on screen" and "digital devices," but believes “there is a tremendous value in teaching them to work with their hands, build something, create something, solve problems and take pride in what they create.”