HUNTER SMITH / The Express Jim Smith, co-owner of Smith Furniture located at 116 Woodward Ave. in Dunnstown, stands proudly among their products in the newly opened showroom.

DUNNSTOWN — After nearly four years and two temporary locations, Smith Furniture has made its triumphant return, reopening its doors in Dunnstown after rebuilding from the damage caused by a severe snowstorm in December 2020.

On Sept. 23, Smith Furniture celebrated the opening of their new showroom at 116 Woodward Ave. in Dunnstown.

In late 2020, a devastating storm caused the roof of Smith Furniture to collapse under the weight of heavy snow. The store had been at the location for over 75 years, first opening its doors in 1948.

Jim Smith, who owns and operates the business alongside his brother Jeff, said his nephew, Brad, a volunteer at the local fire company, witnessed the roof collapse returning home late that night.

“He just stepped on the porch of his house right behind our store, and he heard it come down. The roof came down on the showroom, and he called me, and that’s how I first found out,” Smith said. “Fortunately, nobody was in the building when it happened — it was like two in the morning. If people had been in the building, we could have had loss of life or very serious injuries, so we were very fortunate that if it was going to happen that it happened in the middle of the night.”

The showroom was a total loss

In the aftermath, Smith Furniture relocated to Eagle Valley Road in Mill Hall, sharing a building with Calico Creek, a feed and pet supply store. The business remained there until late February, when they moved to a temporary location on East Walnut Street in Clinton Plaza, Lock Haven, next to the Fine Wine and Good Spirits store.

It was a year and a half into their time in Mill Hall that Jim said he and his brother made the decision to rebuild in Dunnstown. Although their old age made reopening uncertain, their sentimental attachment to the business fueled their determination to keep it alive.

“A big part of it for me personally was just doing it in memory of our dad who started the business. I didn’t want to see it not continue,” said Smith. The brothers took ownership of the business in 1982 from their father, who originally founded it.

“Another big reason was to have everything together in one location — our showroom, our warehouse and our upholstery shop all in one location again,” he added.

Even after the disaster, the warehouse, which was untouched, remained operational, and Jeff continued to use the back two-story portion of the building for his reupholstery work.

“For us, it’s like coming home,” Smith said.

For him, being home means assisting others in creating comfortable living spaces.

Additionally, both he and his brother were raised in an apartment above the original showroom at that location, so in many ways, it truly is.

The new and improved showroom boasts a comprehensive selection of bedroom, living room, dining room and home office furniture, showcasing high-quality, often American-made products from reputable brands like Whittier Wood Furniture, Vaughan-Bassett, Catnapper, Lancer, England Furniture, Barcalounger, Southern Motion, Kingsdown, Irvin’s Tinware and Bill and Jacobs.

“All the inventory just seems to look better. It pops better with the new showroom,” Smith said.

Smith Furniture is now offering an expanded selection of living room sets and recliners, including power-lift options, as well as lamps and fine art prints.

“If you come in here and you see wood — it’s wood,” said Smith Furniture employee Linda Laubscher. “And the construction of the furniture… we have different brand-named furniture and ours is excellent quality.”

Smith said the excitement from customers for the reopening has been heartening.

“Our loyal customers were really great in the past few years supporting us through all these hard times. I think that’s important, to let them know that we thank them for that,” he said.

Smith also recognized Erie Insurance for their help in bringing Smith Furniture back “home.”

Smith Furniture is open on weekdays, from Monday to Thursday and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To view their inventory, you can visit smith-furn.com to browse their online catalog.