It’s been a while since the last time we graced this space, but allow us to reintroduce ourselves: we’re Charles P. Rogers & Co. We make beds. We’ve been around since 1855. That is an awful long time. Don’t believe us? Take a quick look around your room for things that have been in existence since 1855. Computer? Nope. TV? Nope. Charles P. Rogers has persevered through more than a century and a half of American history.

The seed of the company was planted by crack industrialist Charles Platt Rogers after accepting a contract to make cots for a Manhattan public school in 1854. Rogers would soon move on to brass and iron beds, mindful of the city’s serious problem with insects and vermin at the time and those materials’ ability to hold up well against them. His iron and brass designs were fashionable, so much so that by the time 1870 hit, his beds were the talk of the city, gracing the homes of New York socialites and hotels alike.

Chas, as he was commonly called, opened up a storefront on 17th Street and 6th Avenue, where the company went on to become a force to be reckoned with in the business, shipping their elegant creations all over the country. Chas himself passed away in 1917, but the company was left in the competent hands of a succession of caretakers who have kept the name relevant and important to this day. It’s been 155 years, we hope to see 155 more. If there’s one thing people will always need, it’s a place to sleep. Sweet dreams…