Rhodes Furniture
Encyclopedia
The Rhodes Furniture Company was a retail furniture company based in Atlanta, Georgia
. Beginning with a single store in downtown Atlanta the company expanded throughout the United States.
. In 1875 he came to Atlanta as a laborer for the L & N Railroad. In 1879, he began a small furniture company in Atlanta. Some sources credit him with inventing the installment plan for buying furniture.
In 1889, Rhodes entered a partnership with the owner of a neighboring furniture store J.J. Haverty (who would later found Havertys
), forming the Rhodes-Haverty Furniture Company
. A year and a half after the first Rhodes-Haverty store opened, J.J. Haverty and the company headquarters moved westward to St. Louis, Missouri
to expand, and soon after bought interest in a number of smaller showrooms. It wasn't until 1894 that J.J. returned his family back to Atlanta and went on the road to open more stores.
On December 1, 1904 Rhodes-Haverty opened a new flagship store at the corner of Whitehall and Mitchell Streets in Atlanta on the site of Captain William H. Brotherton's dry goods store. It incorporated the Walter J. Wood furniture store next door. By 1908, 17 stores were open.
J.J. Haverty's son Clarence rose to a leadership position and wished for a larger role in the business. In November 1908, the partnership between Haverty and Rhodes was dissolved amicably and 16 of the stores were divided between Rhodes and Haverty. Rhodes retained control of 3 of the Atlanta stores.
The main Atlanta location was purchased outright by J.J. Haverty and the business took back its original name of Haverty Furniture Company.
The location at 103-111 Whitehall Street (now Peachtree Street
SW) went on to do business as the Rhodes-Wood Furniture Co.
Amos Rhodes died in 1928, leaving a substantial endowment.
After the dissolution the Rhodes Haverty Investment Company remained, and was the namesake of the 1929 Rhodes-Haverty Building
, not Rhodes-Haverty Furniture, which by then had been dissolved.
Rhodes Furniture had grown to 70 stores by 1990. Heilig-Meyers bought the Rhodes Furniture Company in 1996, which by then was the fourth-largest furniture retailer in the United States with $430 million in revenue. Heilig-Meyers made the Rhodes stores more upscale, but the plan backfired and customers deserted the stores. Heilig-Meyer sold Rhodes in 1999 and Rhodes went bankrupt in 2004. Rooms To Go
won the auction and paid $45.8 million to take over Rhodes' 50 stores and other assets. Most stores later opened as Broyhill Furniture.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Beginning with a single store in downtown Atlanta the company expanded throughout the United States.
History
Amos Giles Rhodes was born in 1850 in Henderson, KentuckyHenderson, Kentucky
Henderson is a city in Henderson County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River in the western part of the state. The population was 27,952 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Evansville Metropolitan Area often referred to as "Kentuckiana", although "Tri-State Area" or "Tri-State" are more...
. In 1875 he came to Atlanta as a laborer for the L & N Railroad. In 1879, he began a small furniture company in Atlanta. Some sources credit him with inventing the installment plan for buying furniture.
In 1889, Rhodes entered a partnership with the owner of a neighboring furniture store J.J. Haverty (who would later found Havertys
Havertys
Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc. is a retail furniture company founded in 1885. Beginning with a single store in downtown Atlanta, Havertys has grown to become one of the top furniture retailers in the south and central United States...
), forming the Rhodes-Haverty Furniture Company
Rhodes Furniture
The Rhodes Furniture Company was a retail furniture company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Beginning with a single store in downtown Atlanta the company expanded throughout the United States.-History:...
. A year and a half after the first Rhodes-Haverty store opened, J.J. Haverty and the company headquarters moved westward to St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to expand, and soon after bought interest in a number of smaller showrooms. It wasn't until 1894 that J.J. returned his family back to Atlanta and went on the road to open more stores.
On December 1, 1904 Rhodes-Haverty opened a new flagship store at the corner of Whitehall and Mitchell Streets in Atlanta on the site of Captain William H. Brotherton's dry goods store. It incorporated the Walter J. Wood furniture store next door. By 1908, 17 stores were open.
J.J. Haverty's son Clarence rose to a leadership position and wished for a larger role in the business. In November 1908, the partnership between Haverty and Rhodes was dissolved amicably and 16 of the stores were divided between Rhodes and Haverty. Rhodes retained control of 3 of the Atlanta stores.
The main Atlanta location was purchased outright by J.J. Haverty and the business took back its original name of Haverty Furniture Company.
The location at 103-111 Whitehall Street (now Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street
Peachtree Street is the main street of Atlanta. The city grew up around the street, and many of its historical and municipal buildings are or were located along it...
SW) went on to do business as the Rhodes-Wood Furniture Co.
Amos Rhodes died in 1928, leaving a substantial endowment.
After the dissolution the Rhodes Haverty Investment Company remained, and was the namesake of the 1929 Rhodes-Haverty Building
Rhodes-Haverty Building
The Residence Inn Atlanta Downtown is a 21-story hotel tower occupying the former Rhodes-Haverty Building at 134 Peachtree Street NW and Williams Street in the Fairlie-Poplar historic district of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The building was designed by Atlanta architects Pringle and Smith...
, not Rhodes-Haverty Furniture, which by then had been dissolved.
Rhodes Furniture had grown to 70 stores by 1990. Heilig-Meyers bought the Rhodes Furniture Company in 1996, which by then was the fourth-largest furniture retailer in the United States with $430 million in revenue. Heilig-Meyers made the Rhodes stores more upscale, but the plan backfired and customers deserted the stores. Heilig-Meyer sold Rhodes in 1999 and Rhodes went bankrupt in 2004. Rooms To Go
Rooms To Go
Rooms To Go Incorporated is a chain of furniture stores based in the South Eastern United States and Puerto Rico. In September 2005, Cindy Crawford launched the "Cindy Crawford Home" furniture line exclusively with Rooms To Go....
won the auction and paid $45.8 million to take over Rhodes' 50 stores and other assets. Most stores later opened as Broyhill Furniture.