Cabinetmaker John Sprosen was active in Philadelphia circa 1783 to 1788, and in New York City from 1789 to 1798. His Windsor chairs are branded “I. Sprosen” under the seat.

Early in 1960, Douglas R. Dimes became fascinated with the furniture designs of 18th century craftsmen, so he studied period furniture in museums and books, and with no experience and few tools, he began to make Windsor chairs. He made and sold chairs for 14 years before leaving his full time job in 1976 to form and incorporate his present company in New Hampshire. Thomas Lavigne, now Vice-President and General Manager, was his first employee/apprentice and was hired in 1968, while Dimes’ son, Douglas P. Dimes has joined the company more recently as Marketing Director.

Douglas R. Dimes has been commissioned by museums such as Independence Hall, Old Sturbridge Village, The Smithsonian and Colonial Williamsburg, recreating their best examples of Early American design. Many of these chairs and pieces are offered in his “Branded Reproductions” and “Benchmark Collection” catalogs. For thirty plus years, D.R. Dimes has put authentic design and excellence of craftsmanship ahead of sales, profit and growth. He still makes all of his furniture in the old manner, for instance, steam bending chair bows and fans and hand carving ears and knuckles. Seats are carved from Eastern white pine, the bendings are oak and the leg turnings are maple. The Dimes’s Windsors are amazingly comfortable and functional. The first American Windsors date between 1730-1740 in Philadelphia, the distinctive style of the Colonial craftsmen resulting in a lighter weight, more flexible chair. In the early 1980′s, customers’ requests for tables and cabinets equal to his signature chairs led Dimes to further study and mastery in multiple forms of furniture production, demanding enlargement of his shop as well. His philosophy of continuous improvement has resulted in the availability of a large selection of useful, truly beautiful, historically accurate reproduction furniture.

Dimes sold twenty Windsor pieces to the producers of the 2000 motion picture The Patriot, including the rockers famously destroyed by Mel Gibson in the movie’s opening scenes.