Saving a Seat for History

Building a Windsor chair is one of the most difficult woodworking projects possible. “[For] a lot of people who are very accomplished wood workers, building wood Windsor chairs is a big challenge,” says Richard Grell, an expert chair-maker and instructor.

The 68-year-old has been making Windsor chairs for 44 years. His passion for the craft began at a young age, when his grandfather gave him woodworking tools as gifts. Grell’s chairs have since appeared in collections around the world.

Despite being internationally known, Grell has stayed true to his roots by running a “very simple, small business” with his wife out of a barn-turned-studio on the property his grandfather purchased back in 1938. Over the years, the land has appeared in publications like Country Living Magazine. For Grell, it represents more than just his family’s history; it’s connected to Hudson’s history and ongoing preservation.

Grell and his wife volunteer with the Hudson Heritage Association, a nonprofit organization devoted to preserving the town’s history and safeguarding its future. “There are some very impressive people behind [Hudson’s preservation who] are deeply invested in that,” Grell says. “We try to support them in all the ways we can.”

Hudson’s origins date back to 1799. In 1826, the Western Reserve Academy was established when Western Reserve College relocated to Cleveland as Case Western Reserve University. For the academy’s 175th anniversary, Grell was commissioned to create a piece that resides on campus today.

Hudson also played a role in the Underground Railroad. A number of stops on the secret trail were located around town. Before his historic raid on Harper’s Ferry and resulting death, John Brown—a well-known abolitionist—resided for a time in Hudson. “The last letter Brown wrote from his cell before he was hanged was to a Hudson resident, a close friend of his,” Grell says.

Grell’s Windsor chair-making, where he brings the antique style to the present through polish and refinements, is similar to Hudson’s dedication to preservation. Though difficult, both techniques are rewarded by the end result.

“ It’s not easy, but there are a lot of people working very hard in Hudson to try and hang on to the buildings,” Grell says, “and just the whole overall feeling of going into an historic district and not having everything all new and shiny.”