Antique Hoosier Cabinets

Antique Hoosier cabinets are a popular addition to any vintage look kitchen. The name Hoosier became synonymous with free standing cabinet and counter combinations, although there were many companies that made them.

Hoosiers were part of an efficient kitchen.

Before 1930 kitchen cabinets were free standing furniture unlike cabinetry today. For decades before Hoosier became a household word, baker's cabinets were being made to serve the needs of a busy kitchen. These cabinets were simple and many times homemade from local wood. They included:

• Shelves for storage
• Work surface
• Drawers
• ”Possum Belly” drawers, lined with tin that held flour and sugar.
• Casters on the bottom of the legs

Each design component of the baker's cabinet was well thought out. The tin lined drawers kept rodents out of precious stores of flour and sugar, while the casters made the cabinet both easy to move and ant proof. At first the work surfaces were made from smooth wood but later they were made from zinc, aluminum or porcelain to make them easy to clean.

The Hoosier Manufacturing Company was founded in 1898 in New Castle, Indiana. The company felt that it could improve these baker's cabinets. With careful consideration to adding efficiency the company added many improvements including:

• Flour sifter
• Enamel-lined bread drawers
• Pull-out bread boards
• Glass storage containers
• Sugar bin
• Spice rack
• Salt box
• Cracker jar

It is estimated that the company produced in excess of four million cabinets between 1900 and 1940. These were made of oak for the first two decades. In the 1920s the entire nation became concerned about cleanliness and germs in the wake of the influenza outbreak of 1917. Hoosier began to offer easy-to-clean cabinets that were lined with white enamel. These were marketed as “White Beauty” Hoosiers.

Sneath Glass Company made the various glass containers that were sold as accessories to the antique Hoosier cabinets. Although there were a variety of shapes and sizes the earliest containers were more squared off in shape. As the country entered the Art Deco stage the jars became rounder in shape.

Although most cabinets became known as Hoosiers there were a variety of other manufacturers of kitchen cabinets. Some popular names include:

• Boone
• Coppes Napanee
• KitchenMaid
• Sellers

Each of these had design features similar to the Hoosier.

Each manufacturer had a unique label that identified the cabinet as theirs. Often the labels were made of metal and then firmly attached to the individual cabinet with screws. This is the easiest way to identify an antique kitchen cabinet but not the only way. Often these labels were removed for refinishing or repair and later lost.

If your antique cabinet has no tags or identifying marks you will need to get a reference book from the library or bookstore. If you are going to be repairing or restoring your cabinet you should not do anything until you are sure which manufacturer made the piece. It is important to the integrity of your antique kitchen cabinet that you use the correct hardware and accessories. Consider one of the following books for help:

• The Hoosier Cabinet in Kitchen History
• Field Guide to American Furniture
• Identifying American Furniture

Once you know the actual manufacturer of your cabinet you can begin to look for replacement parts. There are a number of places to find reproduction parts for antique Hoosier cabinets or you can look on eBay for the real thing. Original hardware that is somewhat common includes:

• Canisters
• Glass insets
• Hinges
• Jars
• Knobs
• Sifters

Companies that carry reproduction replacement parts include:

• Van Dykes Restorers
• Restoration Hardware

It isn't unusual to find parts of a cabinet; either the top shelves or the bottom worktable. Don't be afraid to hang the shelves on your wall or use the bottom as a table of some sort. No matter how you use it the Hoosier will add country charm to any kitchen.

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