L.J. Gascho Furniture at Goods Furniture

The L.J. Gascho Furniture Company was founded in 1986 in a rural farming community near Pigeon, Michigan. They specialize in handcrafting heirloom furniture the old fashioned way, down on the farm. Lyle J. Gascho began his woodworking career in a small furniture shop in northern Indiana. There he worked with Amish and Mennonite craftsmen and learned the techniques and methods of furniture making.

After learning the furniture making trade, Lyle returned to the family farm where he remodeled the farm shed and chicken house to be used for producing furniture.

In addition to his facilities on the farm, Lyle is also networked with other small, independently owned shops, primarily Amish and Mennonite, located in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and his home state of Michigan. Each shop specializes in handcrafting a particular furniture item, which together make up the entire Gascho Furniture product line. All these products from the sub-shops are then brought back to Lyle’s shop to be finished.

Strong commitments to faith and family remain very important in maintaining the foundational values that have gone into the Gascho product line. It is the mission of the L.J. Gascho Furniture Company to continue to produce high quality furniture that will become heirlooms to be passed on from generation to generation.

The LJ Gascho Furniture Company is made up of 22 Small Amish and Mennonite woodshops located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Everything is hand-made in the United States with solid red oak and solid Maple woods. Table slides are made with solid maple to add durability and some are gear driven to make it easy for one person to open and/or close. All pedestal feet include levelers and are also self-adjustable from inside the pedestal itself. Round/oval table rims (apron or skirts) are made from solid woods and are steam bent. Round chair backs are called "bow–backs" and are made of steam bent solid oak. Lumbar spindles/paddles are made of steam bent solid oak.

Chair legs are glued and screwed to avoid "rattling" during dry seasons. Hand-rubbed oil stains are used to bring out the natural characteristics of each piece of oak. Oil stains are significant because they penetrate deep into the wood. Beshta-var is a catalyzed varnish resistant to a number of potentially harmful substances including water, alcohol, warm dishes, and nail polish remover. It is also resistant to marring and scratching. Beshta-var is used exclusively on all LJ Gascho Furniture products. The fact that Beshta-var is a varnish is significant to avoid excess "yellowing" over the years to come – unlike lacquers which yellow quickly on oak. All Gascho drawers are solid oak and English dovetailed, and are neatly finished on the inside. Our large China cabinets are two piece units. Bases may be ordered separately to be used as a server.