Nichols and Stone dates back to 1762, when it was known as the Nichols Brother Chair Manufactory. The company made chairs in workshops in Westminster Mass, and in 1857 opened its first factory, in Gardner Mass. Located off Sherman Street, the Gardner factory was the largest building in the whole Nichols and Stone factory complex. 

The business had been owned by eight generations of the same family, beginning when it was first established, in 1762. In an interview, a past worker stated that the company produced about 300,000 rockers and 250,000 “regular” chairs.

Unfortunately, Nichols and Stone had to close down in September of 2008 due to a decline in consumer demand. It was the last large furniture manufacturer to close in Gardner, also known as “Chair City”. The building was torn down in 2012 and the Price Chopper was built in the area it used to be.