Constructed in 1929, the Martinsville Novelty Corporation Factory operated until 1995, manufacturing small items of furniture such as end tables and cabinets. At the time of its listing, the factory contained a collection of buildings and structures that was one of only a handful of early-20th-century furniture factories still standing within Martinsville’s city limits, recalling this significant sector of its industrial history. During the the early- to mid-20th century, Martinsville was one of the nation’s leading centers for manufacturing moderately priced furniture. The Martinsville Novelty Corporation Factory stands as a fine example of a utilitarian purpose-built factory.