I’m the last Strobel in New York. But in the 1850’s, my ancestors ran a flourishing furniture business in Manhattan, called Philip Strobel & Sons Inc. Philip is my great great great grandfather and today not a single person in my family owns any furniture from our family’s business. With your help, I’m trying to find a dining table for my apartment in the West Village.

For background, Philip Strobel & Sons operated for several decades and was a leading furniture maker in the city. Strobel & Sons primarily made furniture for restaurants and cafes, but they also built home furnishings.

The warehouse was located on 53-55 Elizabeth Street, what is now Chinatown and the building still stands today. I walk past it from time to time and imagine what it looked like in its full operation 170 years ago.

What happened to the business? It grew to be very successful and was featured in The New York Times, and The New York Tribune, and now the full furniture catalogue is housed in the National Archives. I read in one article that there was a large fire in 1888; however, the business rebuilt. I’ve asked multiple family members about its final closure and have heard things from it taking a hit during Prohibition because no one was drinking, to The Great Depression, to gambling. No one is quite sure and it remains a family mystery.

I am decorating my new apartment and would love to be able to break bread with my friends and family on a table that my family built. I've scoured the internet for years, but tables from Philip Strobel & Sons are elusive. I am embarking on this treasure hunt to connect to my past — if you have any leads, please DM me. Thanks! 🫶