Thomas Molesworth built furniture from 1931 to 1961 at his shop in Cody, Wyoming and many of the wealthy and prestigious leaders of that time were his customers. Newspaper publisher Moses Annenberg liked it so much that he commissioned a whopping 245 pieces for his ranch in Wyoming. The Rockefeller ranch in Jackson, Wyoming, and U.S. President Eisenhower’s house in Pennsylvania also featured Molesworth’s furniture.

Demand for originals built by this iconic western designer shows no sign of declining. In fact, the prices paid at a Sotheby’s auction in 2018 were frequently even higher than the anticipated bids.  Watch this short video from Sotheby’s to see some of the auction items and the prices they sold for.

At the Christie’s auction house in 2012, this pair of original Molesworth club chairs sold for $80,500. That price seems even more amazing when you look at how beat up they are. Clearly these chairs supported quite a few dusty cowboy bottoms in their day!

At the same auction this Molesworth sofa sold for $25,000, the matching set of chairs went for $22,500 and the small leather and wood coffee table fetched $20,000.

While Molesworth originals may be priced out of reach for most people, this classic Western style is still accessible thanks to craftsmen who continue his legacy.

One of the country’s top Molesworth specialists has partnered with Rustic Artistry to build expertly constructed Molesworth furniture reproductions. 

Here are several examples of an original Molesworth next to our meticulously crafted reproductions: