Daniel Knechtel Heritage Plaque

At Hanover Heritage Square, the former site of the Knechtel furniture factory, at 10th Street and 10th Avenue, Hanover Born in Waterloo County, Daniel Knechtel came to Hanover in 1864. Two years later, he began producing handcrafted furniture and, in 1874, opened a factory on this site. By using local timber resources and applying the latest techniques in furniture manufacturing, Knechtel built a successful business. Under his direction, subsidiaries were established in Southampton and Walkerton, and markets expanded into the Canadian West. A fire destroyed Knechtel's factory in 1900, but another was built the following year and operated until 1983. Active in the community, Knechtel made substantial donations for a hospital, library and Baptist church, and served as first reeve and mayor of Hanover (1909-1911).