The Country Seat, Inc. was founded in 1975 by Donna Longenecker as a seat weaving business. Her husband, Bill, had inherited several cane and rush chairs that were missing seats and she taught herself how to weave them. When friends and family saw the finished chairs, they began bringing their old chairs to her for new seats. Soon friends who wanted to give weaving a try asked her to get the materials they needed and word slowly spread. After 30 years, word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.

In 1978, along with their two small children, Angie and Billy, the family moved to a farm outside of Kempton, a small rural township in eastern Pennsylvania. Bill, a professional draftsman, had taken up woodworking as a hobby. The family traveled the craft show circuit, selling Bill's colonial reproduction pieces while Donna demonstrated seat weaving. She had built up a following of customers who would book her time in advance to weave their chairs as demonstration pieces when she was in a location near them. Donna would even go to their homes during off hours to replace pressed cane backs in sofas and beds.

More and more people were remarking that supplies were hard to find. Donna decided to "take orders" and send them the materials when she returned home. She spent countless hours researching the industry and, with her background as an accountant, set about accumulating stock, arranging advertising and all the other details that go into running a small business. Initially the intention was to have only a mail order business. At their rural location, they never dreamt that people would travel the distance to pick up such specialized items. WRONG! People started knocking on their doors 7 days a week. There was no sign, but there was that "word of mouth" again.

The "shop" was located in an old stone summer kitchen attached to the back of their home. Mainly Bill's woodworking and Donna's reseating shop, it soon became the retail store. As Donna was not only owner, but sole employee and mother as well, customers were often times confronted with a sign "Back in 15 minutes" or "Closed" if they were all away doing a show.

In 1981, Bill retired from his "real" job to work with Donna on a full time basis. The supply business was growing and he took care of things while Donna was away doing shows. Many long time customers can remember talking to Bill on the portable phone while he was in the garden, barn, mowing the lawn or somewhere on the farm. He always had paper and pencil stuck in a back pocket on which to take their orders. As he cut back on his production woodworking, he acquired an interest in Nantucket baskets. He turned a mold on his lathe and made his first basket. This style remains his main interest in basketry today. His greatest and most impressive Nantucket basket was large enough for Angie to sit inside of.

Merchandise stock was stored in the barn and an old tractor-trailer parked along side. Mail orders were packed right there on a table in the barn, regardless of the time of year. Like pioneers, the family and employees endured many hardships working mainly in the unheated barn. Through the heat of summer or deep snows of winter, they persevered. Some customers can still remember the red chicken feathers they would find mixed in with the packing material inside their boxes. The feathers would filter through the barn wall from the chicken coop next door and find their way into the packages. The farmer renting the lower portion of the barn, for steer, was finally asked to vacate as the odor was rising through the floor and permeating the porous reed. It was time for a change.

In 1988, the business moved to the "hill". A flat surface was blasted and carved out of the land behind the Longenecker's home and barn. A building was erected to contain store, office, workroom, and warehouse under one roof. Although a lot of job sharing takes place, Bill handles most all the shipping and receiving chores. Donna and Angie are available to help you in the store or on the phone with questions and orders.

Our shop is open 6 days a week and is stocked with everything you need (or want) for weaving baskets or chair seats. From wire handles to wooden bases, pine needles to Shaker tape, Irish waxed linen to braided seagrass, you'll find almost everything. We also offer our secure online catalog, which is updated every time a product changes. The online catalog shows information and pictures of each one of our products so you can browse and shop even when you can't make it out to Kempton.

Many customers plan their vacations to include a stop at the store. Customers from Alaska and Hawaii have stopped by while in the east visiting relatives. Others find the store handy in their travels from summer to winter homes as it is near major North/South interstate highways. Although located in very rural Albany Township, many attractions and hidden gems are located close by. Hawk Mountain, a world renowned bird and wildlife sanctuary, is only 7 miles away. Kempton has a steam train, the WK&S Railroad that runs a 5 mile round trip on the weekends. The far end of the train ride is the Wanamaker's depot. Wanamaker's General Store is once again open with everything from groceries, bulk foods, homemade deli sandwiches to live bait and hunting licenses and children's games. Enjoy freshly brewed coffee while you browse locally made crafts and handmade wooden toys, They are open 7-7 weekdays and Saturday 8-6.
If you are interested in the muzzle loading tradition and/or renactments, stop by Dixon's Muzzle Loading shop for supplies, history and much, much more. Make a day trip with the family and take a trail ride at Kindred Spirits Farm - 610-756-3469.
If you are planning to stay a while, there are several B&B's close by: Blue Mountain Summit Restaurant and Bed & Breakfast, Pamela's Forget-Me-Not Guest House pamelasforgetmenot.com 35 Hawk Mountain Road Kempton PA 19529. 610-756-3398 (leave message), forgetmenotbnb@comcast.net, (5 min. away: suites, rooms and private cottage with Jacuzzi) and Hawk Mountain B&B (for more, request an Accommodations & Attractions list).
The Reading shopping outlets, Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Philadelphia, and many PA Dutch attractions are also close by. In fact, New York City is less than a 2 hour drive. Please let us know if you are coming for a visit and would like a list of B & B's, restaurants, campgrounds, things to do and see and hotels in our area.

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The Country Seat, Inc.
Basketry & Chair Seating Supplies
1013 Old Philly Pike
Kempton, Pennsylvania 19529-9321 USA
Phone: 610-756-6124
e-mail: weaving@countryseat.com
Fax: 610-756-0088
web site: www.countryseat.com

Free catalog upon request. Please e-mail us at weaving@countryseat.com with your name and postal address. Catalog #30 is the current print catalog, please keep the Country Seat Courier newsletters as they contain all of our new products and any changes to the print catalog. New products are added to the on-line catalog as they arrive. If you have placed an order, a catalog and newsletters will be sent with the order.

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