James Perley & Sons.
For many years the name of Perley
has been connected with everything
that is the best in the furniture line in
this city and the mammoth establishment
occupied by James Perley &
Sons is the best testimonial of the
enormous business they enjoy. The
structure is at 100 to 108 West Main
street and is one of the largest and
[ILLUSTRATION]
Handsome Warerooms of James Perley & Sons
finest in the city being of iron, three
stories in height and containing over
54,000 square feet of floor space, and a
large warehouse with 7,344 additional
square feet has just been completed.
[ILLUSTRATION]
J. Vincent Perley—James Perley—J. W. Perley.
The company does a wholesale and
retail business in the furniture line,
and handle everything that comes
under the catalogue of furniture. They
also do a general undertaking business
and are as well equipped for this work
as any concern in the country. In
addition to carrying a full line of
wooden, cloth and metallic caskets,
shrouds and robes, the company has
four rubber tired hearses of the finest
design and pattern, and a fine ambulance
and casket wagon. All of the
firm members are registered embalmers
having graduated from Professor
Clark's School of Embalming
in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are assisted
in this branch of their business
by Mr. Bryant, also a registered embalmer
and one of the best known and
most experienced undertakers in the
South. In the furniture line their
trade extends over Albemarle, Greene,
Fluvanna and Nelson Counties and is
growing more expansive rapidly.
The present business grew from a most
modest beginning having been started
as a repair shop in 1855, Mr. Jas. Perley,
founder and head of the firm who was
born in Alexandria, Virginia, July 2,
1833, and came to Charlottesville with
his parents in 1841. He was educated
here and after completing his studies
entered the mercantile line. In 1855,
he determined to open a place for himself
and engaged in the furniture repairing
line. At the opening of the
war he enlisted as a corporal, and was
promoted Sergeant, in the Monticello
Guards, which was mustered into the
Confederate service as Company A.
Nineteenth Virginia Infantry, and
served with bravery and distinction in
the many notable battles in which his
company participated. Just prior to
the close of the war he was taken
prisoner at the battle of Harper's Ferry
and was held a prisoner until June
1865. After his release he returned to
this city, and in 1866 opened a furniture
store under the style of James
Perley. In four years his business
had increased to such an extent that
his quarters were far too small for him
and he secured his present location in
1874. He admitted his sons, J. V., J.
W. and C. M. into the firm in 1891,
and the style was changed to the present
one. Later Mr. C. M. Perley died
and there are now but three partners
in the concern. The elder Mr. Perley
is a prominent Mason. Both of the
sons were born in this city and Mr. J.
V. Perley is one of the most prominent
fraternal men in the South, being a
member of forty-two organizations
and treasurer of thirteen. He has
just returned from a trip to Egypt
and the Holy Lands. Mr. J. W.
Perley is an Odd Fellow, and belongs
to the Encampment and the Rebekas.
