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Glam Journal

When was the first coffee table made?

Author

James Austin

Updated on February 27, 2026

When was the first coffee table made?

The first wooden tables, which were specifically designed as coffee tables were made during the late Victorian era in Britain, particularly in the year 1868 when a table designed by E W Godwin was listed as a ‘coffee table’.

Who invented coffee table?

F.Stuart Foote
In the early 1900’s F. Stuart Foote, founder of the American Imperial Furniture company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, claimed to have invented the coffee table whilst helping his wife prepare for a party. He simply lowered the legs of an existing dining table to make a centerpiece from which coffee could be served.

When was Mersman Drop Leaf coffee table made?

I would like to know the year and value of this Mersman drop leaf coffee table. Mersman was a popular furniture manufacturer that produced furniture from the 1870s until 1995. The tables were mass produced, around 30,000 in the 1920s and an estimated 20+ million over the course of production.

When did the first Mersman table come out?

Mersman Tables have been American favorites since 1876. Learn more about the fascinating history of this brand which has helped to grace over 30 million homes. With emphasis on open space, clean lines, and natural wood tones.

Is the Mersman coffee table a high value item?

So many people are downsizing and many think Mersman is a high value item and so many will price their pieces accordingly. Sad, but most will sit unsold for many months (I just reviewed 2 of these coffee tables that have been listed for 2 & 3 years) and not high prices either.

Where are the model numbers on a Mersman table?

Mersman Tables are identified by the four-digit numbers located on the underside of the tabletop. Mersman was a popular furniture manufacturing company for more than a century. Over the years, it manufactured millions of tables and other items. The company began as a sawmill in the 19th century with several mills in Indiana. J. B.

How much does a Mersman coffee table sell for?

The coffee table is very common. Most sell at $30-60. The end tables are also common and sell at $50-75 a pair. Try as a set first high, you may need to break it up They will last a lifetime! Hopefully you are in a low supply, high demand area and fetch the $200. Post back how your sale goes! Thanks for sharing! Reply Was this helpful? Yes

When did j.b.mersman start making furniture?

J.B. Mersman founded Mersman Tables one of the country’s oldest furniture manufacturers, around 1876, in Ottoville, Ohio, when J.B. produced his first piece of furniture, a table. Prior to that time J. B. was a sawmill operator.

What kind of furniture did Mersman make in the 1920s?

One of the Mersman best sellers in the 1920s was called the “Davenport,” which is known as a sofa table. The company listed 139 types of sofa tables in 1928, at prices considered expensive at that time. His other products included gateleg tables, radio table cabinets, library tables and what were among the first coffee tables.

Mersman Tables are identified by the four-digit numbers located on the underside of the tabletop. Mersman was a popular furniture manufacturing company for more than a century. Over the years, it manufactured millions of tables and other items. The company began as a sawmill in the 19th century with several mills in Indiana. J. B.