The Appalachian Spring story

Appalachian Spring began in the Georgetown section of Washington, DC in 1968 with the goal of bringing to this community a collection of products

• that were new and uniquely different
• that were of the highest quality available
• that were designed to be both beautiful and useful in everyday life

To find the products to meet our standards we went to the artists and craftspeople that lived and worked in the Appalachian states of the United States, a region stretching from Maine to Alabama. We had grown up in this region and knew the skills and dedication to quality of these artists. We looked to this region as an expression, at that time, of a rebirth of American creativity....and thus our name: Appalachian Spring.

The Washington community embraced Appalachian Spring. Our products found their way into homes throughout the area, onto gift tables at special events, and accompanying Presidents and other dignitaries as they traveled around the world to present gifts from America.

We continued to look for new and wonderful things that met our criteria of quality, design and usefulness. As we explored other parts of the United States we again found that it was the artists and craftspeople who were producing the unique items that we were seeking. As we added exciting things from throughout the United States, we saw the same rebirth of creativity that marked our first collection and our name: Appalachian Spring.

Today we operate five stores in the Washington, DC and Richmond, VA areas. Our criteria for products at Appalachian Spring are the same as they were 40 years ago: high quality, uniqueness, and designed for both beauty and function. We look to hundreds of talented artists and craftspeople throughout the United States for the majority of our collection. Many of our items carry our seal “handcrafted in the USA for Appalachian Spring”. We have twice been voted #1 store in the United States for American craft. To make our collection even more wonderful in the future, our buyers are now taking our criteria to other parts of the world, looking for what’s truly special. Watch for lots of new things to enjoy.