Hartford House started as a hobby in the family garage more than 20 years ago. Owner Sarah Smith purchased a few solid wood furniture pieces from a neighbor, then sanded and stained the pieces herself. And then she bought another piece…and another…and before she knew it, her husband had lost his parking space!

That’s when Sarah moved into a small retail space in Anderson Village Shopping Center on Georgia Highway 365 in Habersham County, Georgia. She set up shop with nine basic furniture designs and finished the furniture in the back of the store while her mother, armed with a cigar box for a cash register, watched the sales floor. The business grew quickly, at one time encompassing almost 14,000 square feet, including a retail furniture showroom and finishing shop.

In March 2007, almost 19 years of hard work went up in flames when Hartford House was destroyed by a fire. While combing through the remains of Hartford House the day after the devastating fire, employees’ heartbreak was too heavy for words. Wooden furniture and upholstery were reduced to eerie, charred skeletons; vases that appeared to be intact crumbled at a touch; personal mementos were buried under mounds of ashes. Hartford house was a total loss. As two employees ventured back into the burned building, however, their eyes fell on something on a blackened display unit. Sitting upright on a low shelf, scorched but completely intact, were three Willow Tree figurines. Unable to contain their excitement, the employees took the pieces to store owner Sarah Smith. Known as “Peace,” “Joy,” and “Love,” the three figurines, collectively labeled “The Three Blessings,” have proven to be reminders that there is always hope in the midst of difficulty. In fact, the charred figures have been standing watch at the door of the new storefront since they were discovered.

To some, the complete loss of a store building and its contents would appear to be the end of a journey, but to Sarah Smith the event was simply another challenge of doing business. Unsurprisingly, construction began in August 2007, just 5 months after the fire, on the new and improved Hartford House.

Sarah’s goal remains the same today as it was when she started her business in 1988: to create and make available to you, at a fair price, a wide selection of quality handcrafted furniture and unique decorative accessories for your home. Take a virtual tour today to see how Hartford House’s skilled craftsmen create our heirloom quality pieces. Better yet, come visit our 9,000 square foot showroom in the foothills of northeast Georgia and see firsthand the workmanship that goes into each and every piece we make. We pledge to give you the very best in customer service. We will do all in our power to provide a positive shopping experience for you.