Andrew Malcolm Furniture

In the 1850’s, John Watson, a young Scotsman, opened a furniture shop at Kincardine where he produced household furniture. Around the same time, Andrew Malcolm emigrated to the British West Indies. The climate was too hot, so he sailed north to Canada where he was employed by the Canada Land Company in the Queen’s Bush.

Watson and Malcolm formed a partnership, and under the company name of “Watson and Malcolm” began producing furniture at Kincardine. John Watson died in 1897, but Andre Malcolm’s two sons Andrew and James joined the business, transforming it to Andrew Malcolm Furniture Company. James Malcolm managed the Kincardine company, while Andrew Malcolm Jr. managed the Listowel Factory. High-quality period furniture was produced by both companies.

Lumber for the Kincardine plant arrived by boat from Manitoulin Island, while the finished furniture was shipped by railway from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast and exported as well.

This beautiful, Canadian made furniture was used in many Canadian Hotels (and one Jamaican Hotel).

Mosquito Bomber parts kept the company very busy during World War II, with over 300 people employed in this work. Following the war, the company returned to making furniture.

Despite all of this history, difficulty in securing workers forced the company to close in 1973 – which just makes the remaining furniture all the more valuable for collectors and appreciators of their work.