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Home / Kitchen / Vintage Steel Kitchen Cabinets

Untouched for 66 years in their original boxes: 1949 Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets — and more

pam kueber - Updated: November 3, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Plus: a Cusheen countertop and a GE stove — both NOS!

Youngstown Steel cabinet original boxWhat mysteries await, inside these crumbling old boxes???

Youngstown Steel cabinet original boxHowdy hudee: 10 New Old Stock Youngstown Steel Kitchen Cabinets — untouched by human fingerprints for 66 years — straight from the factory in 1949. I so want to be there when these little time capsules are opened!

Oh –> And there’s there’s a 1949 GE stove, also New Old Stock (NOS), to match!

–> And a Cusheen countertop!

Reader Ben emailed us about this discovery:

Hi there, I happened upon a time capsule, while helping a friend straighten out her family’s storage garage. The garage had been locked and forgotten for many years.

Youngstown Steel cabinet original box

As we snooped through the piles of keepsakes from her family, all long passed, we found approximately 10 unopened boxes of Youngstown steel kitchen cabinets. During the process of moving these boxes I found a newspaper in between the boxes that was dated 1949.

Youngstown Steel cabinet original box

In a different location sitting since 1949, there is a General Electric stove that is also unused in pristine condition — still has the price tag dangling off the handle. It’s really a cool looking piece with a clock and looks like a deep fryer maybe built into it. Again it looks to be brand spanking new, and I know it is unused. I’m pretty sure the stove was bought at the same time cabinets were purchased, probably all part of the same kitchen upgrade they were planning at the time.

Youngstown Steel cabinet original box

I plan to unpack these cabinets as soon as possible, I can’t wait to see what’s inside. I did take a peek in a couple of boxes and yes they look brand-new, regardless of what the rats and termites did to the cardboard boxes.

Thanks again, Pam,

Ben

Thank you, Ben, for thinking of us and sharing these photos! What a fabulous find! I’ll stay in touch, for sure, to find out what you decide to do with these treasures!

cusheen top
Wow: There’s also a  42″ black marbleized Cusheen countertop — see our story on Cusheen here.  Oh my word, I want to see this!

See all of our stories about vintage steel kitchen cabinets by clicking here.

 

CATEGORIES:
Kitchen Vintage Steel Kitchen Cabinets

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Reader Interactions

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29 comments

Comments

  1. tammyCA says

    September 2, 2015 at 3:34 pm

    Wow, sounds amazing..hope we get to see them, esp. that 1949 stove.

  2. Vonne says

    September 2, 2015 at 11:12 am

    What an exciting find! I do wonder, however, what happened that caused the family not to go through with the renovation in 1949.

  3. Kersten says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:59 am

    Speechless. Why did she never get her kitchen installed?! Ack!

  4. Patti says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Amazing! I hope you share the photos of them when they are opened!

  5. Diane in CO says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:28 am

    Yesterday Pam, you commented regarding steel cabinets’ practicality where termites are a problem. Looks like case in point here!

    Cannot wait to see these boxes opened. What a discovery!

    • pam kueber says

      September 2, 2015 at 9:46 am

      Yes, good point!

  6. Jessica says

    September 2, 2015 at 9:06 am

    Sounds like the exact cabinets and countertops in my 1950 kitchen. I would so love to have them in New condition. I also have a 1951 GE stove, with the clock,but it’s missing a couple of buttons and the clock knob and it’s electric, so we don’t use it.

  7. Melinda says

    September 2, 2015 at 8:59 am

    Don’t keep us waiting too long, Ben! Cannot wait to see what is in those boxes and a photo of the stove!

  8. Chris says

    September 2, 2015 at 8:18 am

    What an exciting story!!!!! PLEASE let us see what’s in the boxes!

  9. Jay says

    September 2, 2015 at 7:36 am

    The stove, the stove!! I wanna see the stove. Drats!!

  10. Gretchen in Greenwood says

    September 2, 2015 at 5:52 am

    If these go up for sale, I hope they will make it conditional on the purchaser posting pictures of the final install on this site! Because we MUST be allowed to see these in situ!

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