Murphy Chair (Detroit, Michigan)

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In 1872, Canadian, Michael Murphy acquired bed spring maker CH Dunks. Two years later he switched to manufacturing chairs and enjoyed such success that by 1890 he constructed a new factory on 15 acres of land at Harper Avenue and the Grand Trunk Railroad. By 1915, the Murphy Chair Company was reputed to be the largest chair manufacturer in the world with a four story factory and 1,000 workers capable of producing 7,000 chairs a day. However, with Detroit's burgeoning automotive industry, it became more difficult for Murphy to compete for labor and in 1919 Murphy moved to Owensboro Kentucky where they continued to manufacture chairs until 1954.

The property was purchased by Everitt Brothers who converted the factory to make automobile parts. Shortly thereafter in 1921, the plant was sold for $2 million to the newly established Rickenbacker Motor Company which planned to produce 20,000-25,000 cars per year. Mere months later, after acquiring the former Disteel plant on Cabot Avenue to manufacture cars, Rickenbaker Motor Company sold the Harper Avenue plant to Briggs Manufacturing. Briggs operated the plant until 1927 when a fire and explosion destroyed the main factory and resulted in the death of 21 workers. Briggs decided not to rebuild and the work was moved to their Mack Avenue plant.