Company History

What started out as a door-to-door sales job for two immigrant brothers has become the Manayunk landmark of Propper Brothers Furniture.

Samuel Propper and brother Sigmund J. Jake Propper came to America from Hungary in the second half of the 19th century. They settled in Manayunk, a small neighborhood located in Philadelphia. According to Samuel’s son, Elmer Propper, they settled there because they found neighbors who spoke their language.

The brothers were living the American Dream! They worked in the busy mills of Manayunk and made extra money in door-to-door sales. The sales experience led Sam, Jake and their father to open Propper Brothers in its original incarnation as a department store in 1888. It was a family business with many relatives helping to run the store as well as their three local warehouses.

Through the years, the store exchanged hands many times within the Propper Family. Relatives often bought each other out as they grew older or entered different professions.

In 1921 an addition was made to the original building to accommodate a new furniture department. This proved to be the forerunner of the current furniture store which successfully evolved during the late forties and into the fifties. A second store, a design center, was opened in Devon, PA during the 1970s.

Manayunk has reinvented itself numerous times over the years. It is currently an invigorated area where people come to eat at great restaurants, shop wonderful stores and attend many annual events along its Main Street. Just off Main Street on 115 Levering Street is where you’ll find Propper Brothers Furniture, continuing to be the crown jewel of this vibrant retail community. We pride ourselves in offering beautiful home furnishings to Philadelphia, the Delaware Valley and the entire region.