OUR STORY

Heritage Craft, Northern Indiana Roots

At Manasses Henry Furniture Co., heritage is honored in the way our wood is chosen, how the joints are cut, and the way every finished piece leaves the shop with our name attached to it.

A NAME WITH ROOTS

From Amish Heritage to Manasses Henry

From a 4,000-square-foot workshop on a small northern Indiana farm, a handful of craftsmen build solid-wood furniture using methods that trace back generations. The result is furniture that feels familiar the first day you live with it and sturdier with every year that passes. For many years, our work was known under another name: Amish Heritage. The pieces were shaped by the same values that defined early Amish and Shaker makers in this region, concepts such as simplicity, honesty in materials and a quiet confidence in the work.

HERITAGE

As the company grew, we outgrew the label.

The new name, Manasses Henry, keeps a connection to those roots without narrowing who we are.

EVOLUTION

A connection to early family craftsmen

We honor the early family craftsmen, while giving space for new ideas, new collections and a broader audience.

STANDARD

Solid hardwoods, traditional joinery

Today, the spirit of that early shop lives on in the way we build: solid North American hardwoods and traditional joinery.

BILL’S PATH TO THE BENCH

A carpenter’s eye, shaped by practical furniture making

Owner and carpenter Bill Yoder started on a dairy farm, hammering together birdhouses and feeders, fascinated by how wood could be shaped into something useful and beautiful.

Later, Bill and his grandfather William launched WNS Wood Creations, a small custom shop where they built anything people wanted: tables, hutches, cabinets, and one-off pieces sketched at kitchen tables.

The very first piece Bill built for his wife, a small corner hutch he gave her on their wedding day, turned into a stream of word-of-mouth orders that kept the shop busy.

Start with good lumber.

Build it the right way, even when that takes longer.

Stand behind it long after it leaves the shop.

CARRYING THE TORCH

Meeting Gene and preserving the standard

The next chapter began in 2014, when Bill met Gene Beach, then owner of Manasses Henry. What started as a few custom projects quickly became a deeper partnership.

2014

A first connection through family

Bill’s parents bought a house from Gene Beach, who had weathered the 2008 downturn and was building furniture out of his garage to keep the brand alive.

PARTNERSHIP

Custom work becomes mentorship

Bill’s shop, WNS Wood Creations, began building pieces as a subcontractor for Manasses Henry. Gene then joined Bill’s payroll as a mentor, advisor and salesman.

THREE YEARS

The two worked side by side.

For three years, the two worked side by side rebuilding production, refining designs and making sure the quality never slipped.

HANDOFF

Gene passed the reins to Bill.

Bill purchased the company and took responsibility for carrying the Manasses Henry name forward. Gene’s patterns, methods and expectations are now embedded in every piece.

A SMALL SHOP BY DESIGN

Built close to home, close to the work

Manasses Henry operates from a 4,000-square-foot shop tucked beside Bill’s home on a small northern Indiana farm. The modest scale is intentional: every piece gets individual attention.

Small, skilled team

The shop size intentionally stays modest so every piece receives individual attention.

Solid hardwood boards

Red oak, white oak, maple, cherry and walnut acclimate before they ever see a saw blade.

True traditional joinery

Mortise-and-tenon joints are cut to last through decades of use and repair, not just a few moves.

Bench-built furniture

Each piece is guided start-to-finish by a craftsman who treats it as their own work.

FURNITURE WITH OUR NAME ATTACHED

Bring this standard into your home.

Start with a collection piece or talk with the shop about custom work built around your room, your use, and your wood preference.