Locally, their giant rocking chairs can
be spotted in Midway, Calico Rock and Melbourne. “We take pride in what we do and
what we accomplish,” Walter says. One-of-a-kind design
The Hagans’ chair designs are origi- nal and won’t be found anywhere else. “I love to see our chairs on people’s
porches,” says Kristi Hagan, Larry’s wife, who helps in the shop. “They’re all unique.” They make rockers in several differ- ent sizes, and some feature smaller-di- ameter posts and some larger-diameter posts. They can be purchased unfin- ished, stained, oiled or coated with poly- urethane. Regular sized rocking chairs are priced anywhere from $150-$400, depending on the wood type and diame- ter of the posts. “People like how long they last,” says
Martha Hagan, who also helps in the shop. Walter recently replaced the rockers on a chair he had made 45 years ago, be-
The chair that started it all for Hagan Rockers. Walter Hagan’s father, Lloyd, made this in 1931 and other than a few small repairs, it has stood, or sat, the test of time.
cause they had gotten flat from so much use. When a customer recently bought a child-size rocker, Walter told him, “This kid you’re buying it for will be able to pass it down to his grandchild.” The chairs need little maintenance, and brushing or wiping linseed oil on the
wood once a year is usually sufficient. If the chairs are kept on the porch, they can be coated with polyurethane to pro- tect them from rain. Besides chairs, other custom orders
have ranged from cedar chests to bed- room suites, cabinets, coffee tables, glider rockers and adjustable sundeck loungers. “If you can draw it or get him a pic-
ture, he can build it,” Kristi says. Every May and December, Walter and
Larry load up two trailers and sell rock- ing chairs by the side of the road in Tex- as, Louisiana and Mississippi. Many of Walter’s friends and family, including his sister, DeEllen Goodwin, still live in Louisiana. Judging by their return customers
and word-of-mouth publicity, the Ha- gans let the quality of their work speak for itself. “Each chair is unique, got its own knots and flaws,” Walter says. “That’s what makes it handicraft.” For more information about Hagan
Rockers, call (870) 297-8019 or visit their Facebook page. ■
BB-0000137019 LIVING WELL ❚ MAY/JUNE 2019 ❚ 27
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