From Debate Room to Dining Room:

How a Moser Legacy Spans Three Generations

In the early 1970s, high school students Evelyn and Elaine Miller attended a summer debate program at Bates College with Professor Thomas Moser. At the end of the summer, they enjoyed the class so much that they vowed to take it again the following year and formed a connection with the Moser family, visiting their home in New Gloucester. Tom’s home wasn’t just a residence; it was a work in progress—an old house he and his wife Mary were restoring while he worked full-time at Bates. Throughout the class, they recall hearing about Tom’s dream of leaving academia to pursue furniture-making—a dream that would become a reality after their second year in the debate program. 

When Evelyn married in 1977, she and her husband were gifted one of Tom’s original Continuous Arm Chairs as a wedding present. Evelyn’s son, Adam, says, “It was simply a sturdy, beautiful piece of furniture that quietly became part of our family’s everyday life.”  

“It’s a commitment, buying a piece of Moser furniture. But we saved for it because it felt like something worth investing in—something that would become part of our family’s story.” 

Adam met his future wife, Rachel, at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. They often visited Freeport, where they’d stop by the Thos. Moser showroom to admire the designs, especially the curved armchairs. When visiting Rachel’s grandmother in California, Adam was stunned to see a curved-arm chair identical to one his parents owned. “That’s when I realized how special the furniture was—and that people outside New England knew Thomas Moser,” Adam says. It was a surreal and fateful connection. 

In the 1970s, Rachel’s grandparents built and designed their dream home in Southern California. Her grandmother chose each piece of furniture carefully, blending classic Californian style with mid-century modern touches to create an intimate and timeless home. To furnish the modest dining room, Rachel’s grandparents selected four Continuous Arm Chairs for the table. Rachel recalls that the Moser chairs were often relegated to the kids’ table during the holidays. But it was her grandmother’s Continuous Arm Rocker that Rachel frequently dreamed about. “As a child, it was so nice to climb up into that chair, sit on her lap, and just rock back and forth,” she says. “I always loved that chair, even before I knew who Thomas Moser was.”

Adam and Rachel’s grandfather enjoying a meal in the heirloom Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chairs.

Adam and Rachel now have their own home in California, and like Rachel’s grandmother, they’re putting a lot of thought into choosing furniture for their space. “We talked for ages about getting a Thos. Moser Wishbone Table, not just because it’s beautiful but because it’s functional—expanding for big gatherings, yet compact for everyday use,” they say.

“We’ve dreamed of hosting big family dinners, gathering people we love around a table we could someday pass down. It’s a commitment, buying a piece of Moser furniture. But we saved for it because it felt like something worth investing in—something that would become part of our family’s story,” they say. Rachel adds, “It is so special to have my grandmother’s chairs with the furniture we have chosen for our home. We look forward to adding more memories.” 

“It’s not just about having nice furniture; it’s about carrying forward the love and memories of those who enjoyed it before us.” 

“It’s funny how Thomas Moser furniture has followed both our families in unexpected ways, almost as if it was meant to be,” says Adam. “One day, we hope our kids will feel the same about these pieces. And perhaps, when they sit at that same table for Christmas Eve dinners or everyday meals, they’ll appreciate the stories in every scratch, every worn armrest, and every ding. Those imperfections tell the stories of the lives they’ve touched, linking us across generations.” 

Adam and Rachel’s Wishbone Table and Eastward Bench paired with her grandmother’s Thos. Moser Continuous Arm Chairs.

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