Our Story

P. Graham Dunn is the fulfillment of a 30-year vision: to create wall decor, home furnishings and gifts that please the eye and inspire the heart.

In 1972, newlyweds Peter and LeAnna Dunn accepted a mission from their church to open a home for runaway girls in New York City. In order to keep the girls occupied, they initiated a small woodworking business. The girls carved plaques and gifts that quickly became popular items at out door markets in Greenwich Village. When the mission in New York was complete, the couple bought the woodworking equipment and installed it on their farm in Dalton, Ohio.

Dunn spent the next two years building silos for area farmers to support his family, while perfecting his designs and manufacturing techniques during every spare moment. In 1977, he received an order for 3,000 items, allowing him to devote all his energies to his growing business. For the next twenty years, he designed every plaque, gift and each item of furniture. Today, a diverse group of employees contributes to the design process, resulting in a healthier company and broader market appeal.

In the early days, the work was labor-intensive. In time, the company began to computerize carving and laser operations and found it could compete successfully with offshore manufacturers. Today it serves 4,000 accounts; 3,500 in the U.S. and the remainder in Canada and around the world.

The company's unique gallery and showroom is the inspiration for P. Graham Dunn's next chapter. The two-story great room displays the company's inspirational products in a variety of home like settings. Visitors can watch as craftsmen personalize an item of their choice. We opened a new showroom in Gatlinburg, TN in the fall of 2005. Two additional showrooms will be opened in the fall of 2006, one in Branson, MO and another location in Gatlinburg. P. Graham Dunn will be involved not only in design and layout but also in implementing the technology that will make the new operations efficient and profitable.

While much has changed at P. Graham Dunn over the past thirty years, much remains the same. The first two employees of the company are still active in the business. Robert Shetler is vice president of manufacturing and Carol Currie who works in the shipping department.