Bleeding Heart Design

Johnstown Vintage Chair with Bleeding Heart Design

I inherited this above wooden chair from my great Uncle.   It was in my old bedroom when I was single.  Today I only use it to hold my hats and shirts near my front door.  I never allow anyone to sit on it due to its frail condition.

This chair is a bit of a mystery as I couldn’t find out much about it on line.  Years ago, I had all the layers of paint stripped off and the chair varnished.  It is in great shape; however, the bottom does have a couple of cracks where the wood was originally glued together and it seems to be separating a bit due to old age.

These chairs were often used as kitchen chairs.  There are even rockers and smaller children’s chairs with this bleeding-heart pattern.

To keep track of my objects, I generally tape the appraisal or other information about the item on the bottom or back.  I taped to the bottom of this chair an old newspaper article which was dated back to August 14, 2008.  The article stated the chair was made in Johnstown but not sure of the dates or the name of the company that produced them.  It has a bleeding-heart design pressed in the back of the chair.  What does a bleeding-heart mean?  Was it related to religion, empathy for others, or someone who just liked the design?  No one knows for sure.  It stated that the chairs were made in lower Conemaugh.

I have a note about a chair maker in Hornerstown called the Defrehn Company, however, the chairs they made look quite different and almost modern looking.

So, this old chair remains a mystery.

If you know the history of this vintage Johnstown made chair, we would love to hear from you.  Please leave us a comment below.

Vintage Johnstown Wooden Chair