A Creation of a Family Heirloom

My brother-in-law, David, or I really should say brother because that is what he really is to me, started his own business a couple of years ago- Pennys In Wells. David comes from a long line of carpenters. His two older brothers work in their family's business, Wells Church Furniture, with David. They along with their father are extremely talented craftsmen. They build the most beautiful church furniture this side of the Mississippi.

David started building pews, swings, farm tables, and other unique pieces several years ago for people who requested them. David and my sister, Penny, got the bright idea to start an Etsy store and Pennys In Wells- The Furniture You've Always Wished For was born. I am so proud of David and the work that he puts into each piece is priceless.

If you are looking for a family heirloom, then look no further because David can build anything. Click here to see more of his creations.

When I purchased our home in 2010, the house was fully furnished. Some pieces of furniture I sold and some I kept. The dining room had a dining table, chairs, silver chest, china cabinet, and buffet. All of these pieces I kept up until recently, but I wasn't truly in love with them. Finally, I decided to sell the dining room furniture, but that left me with an empty room. I searched high and low for a table to meet my expectations, but they all fell short. 

My sister, Penny, suggested that I get her husband, David, to build something. This sounds like it should have been a "duhhhh" moment, but I knew David stayed so busy with his orders from Etsy so I didn't know if he would have time to squeeze in a table and benches for me. 

Luckily, he did have time and I am so excited to show you my beautiful table and benches! 

My table is made out of Cherry wood. This is the process that it takes to build a farm table. 

He and Penny sent me photos of the process and I find them so interesting to see all the steps that it takes to build one of these beautiful tables. 

Above to the right you can see the beautiful finished product!!! I am in love and I can't wait to set my tablescape! Stay tuned for another blog post on that!

Here is a little history of how David's business, Pennys In Wells, and his family's business, Wells Church Furniture, began: 

The Story begins….

    In the beginning of the 1930s, right in the middle of the Great Depression, my Grandfather began building wooden ironing boards. He later built rocking chairs and porch swings, that he and his brother would trade for goods in the Mississippi Delta to bring back to Noxapater. During World War II, my Grandfather was employed at Ingall’s Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. There, he worked as a “fitter,” which is a person who installs machinery or other parts on the ship.

He later returned to the small village of Noxapater, Mississippi, where he continued his carpentry skills by building wooden school bus bodies. In the mid 1950’s, he started his own business building church furniture- Wells Church Furniture.

In the early 1970’s my father purchased the business from my grandfather. In the 1980’s, my father received the opportunity to build and install the pews in Jimmy Swaggert’s church and several other churches even larger.

    My father, my brothers, and I all worked tirelessly to grow the family business. By 2007, my father brought my two brothers and I officially into the family church furniture business as partners.

Throughout the years we often had people contact us seeking old or antique pews to display in their homes. These pews were and still are very hard to come by.

In 2017, I decided that I would begin building pews that resembled the old ones. As the requests for more and more pews came in, I decided to open up shop where it all began in the same building where my grandfather dreamed his dreams of church furniture and the rest is history. Every piece of furniture is custom built by hand just as my grandfather and father did.

-David Wells