About Us
Why are we called the Center of the World?
No, it's not an ego trip. Actually, a bit of history is behind our choice of name.
When we opened our first shop in New Troy in 1976, the town's old general store had recently abandoned its usage of the name Center of the World. This was a great opportunity for us. We enjoyed the sound of the name (who wouldn't?), but even more than that, we appreciated the deeper meaning behind it.
Hosea Tirrel and his wife outside the Center of the World
General Store, circa 1860. The Tirrels sold everything from needles and pins to
cross-cut saws and logging chains.
Hosea Tirrel, owner of the original Center of the World, once said,
"Wherever you are is the center of the world." And he had a sign on the wall of the
general store that read, "If you can't find it at the Center of the World, seek no further."
Those two comments pretty much summed up Hosea's philosophy of life, which he liked to share as
he whittled on the front porch of his store. His customers knew that whether they were
looking for the meaning of life or a nickel novel, they could find what they wanted at the
Center of the World.
Since 1976, we've moved our showroom from New Troy to Sawyer. But our shop is still in New Troy, and our philosophy is still firmly rooted in the Center of the World. You'll see its evidence in the heirloom quality furniture we create and promote. And you'll see it in the way we care for our customers.
So if what you're looking for is a finely crafted piece of furniture or home accent, and the kind of service you can only find in a mom-and-pop store, seek no further. What you want is at the Center of the World.
Since 1976, we've moved our showroom from New Troy to Sawyer. But our shop is still in New Troy, and our philosophy is still firmly rooted in the Center of the World. You'll see its evidence in the heirloom quality furniture we create and promote. And you'll see it in the way we care for our customers.
So if what you're looking for is a finely crafted piece of furniture or home accent, and the kind of service you can only find in a mom-and-pop store, seek no further. What you want is at the Center of the World.
Lorraine and Terry Hanover
"The Guys" — are justifiably proud of the latest design to come out of our shop. They are (left to right) Center of the World owner and master Woodworker Terry Hanover, woodworkers Joel Klass and Philip Mielke, and apprentice Don Harvey. The chair is from our Stag Run collection of outdoor furniture, being introduced in the spring of 2012. We also love our new sign, a product of Center of the World Sign Shop.
