01-19-2008, 12:33 PM
This from Charlestown K&B webpage. Thanks to Cape Cod Jane for finding it!
History
Charlestowne Kitchen and Bath has a long history in the cabinet industry - far longer than its present incarnation, which began in 1989. Its history is also that of four generations of the MacNeille family.
Back in 1935 Clarence MacNeille bought a small St. Charles cabinet business which made "kitchen safes or dressers" for homes. His vision for its future called for "cabinets" of steel, cabinets which could last a lifetime. The name chosen for these cabinets included the town where they were manufactured, and the renowned St. Charles Kitchens was born.
Clarence's son, Robert, Sr., took over as President and carried the company through World War II when steel had a high war time priority. Cabinets were replaced by shell casings and tool boxes. When the war ended, the returning military were ready to put down roots and establish homes whose heart, of course, was the kitchen. St. Charles, with its innovative designs and superior quality, soon rose to the top of its industry. Architects and builders across the country specified St. Charles as their choice. Homeowners, influenced by the shelter magazines, put St. Charles highest on their lists.
Into the midst of such creativity and product development came a third generation MacNeille, Robert, Jr., Clarence's grandson. As both an engineer and businessman, he expanded product lines to include wood and laminates, developed a school and research laboratory division, expanded the hospital division and initiated business in the Middle East. At this point appliance king, Whirlpool Corporation, came knocking and eventually acquired St. Charles in 1986.
History
Charlestowne Kitchen and Bath has a long history in the cabinet industry - far longer than its present incarnation, which began in 1989. Its history is also that of four generations of the MacNeille family.
Back in 1935 Clarence MacNeille bought a small St. Charles cabinet business which made "kitchen safes or dressers" for homes. His vision for its future called for "cabinets" of steel, cabinets which could last a lifetime. The name chosen for these cabinets included the town where they were manufactured, and the renowned St. Charles Kitchens was born.
Clarence's son, Robert, Sr., took over as President and carried the company through World War II when steel had a high war time priority. Cabinets were replaced by shell casings and tool boxes. When the war ended, the returning military were ready to put down roots and establish homes whose heart, of course, was the kitchen. St. Charles, with its innovative designs and superior quality, soon rose to the top of its industry. Architects and builders across the country specified St. Charles as their choice. Homeowners, influenced by the shelter magazines, put St. Charles highest on their lists.
Into the midst of such creativity and product development came a third generation MacNeille, Robert, Jr., Clarence's grandson. As both an engineer and businessman, he expanded product lines to include wood and laminates, developed a school and research laboratory division, expanded the hospital division and initiated business in the Middle East. At this point appliance king, Whirlpool Corporation, came knocking and eventually acquired St. Charles in 1986.