An Indianapolis, Indiana, entrepreneur (who was later to become a Protestant preacher) called William S. Wooton obtained patents for his design and established a company in 1870. Production continued until about 1884. The Wooton desk is their better-known secretary desk; the Wooton desk company also produced a so-called rotary desk, which is, in fact, a pedestal desk whose pedestals have segments that turn on themselves to expose more drawers and nooks.

The Wooton desk was introduced at the end of the 19th century, at a time when office work was changing in a drastic fashion with an increase in the paperwork that led to the introduction of filing cabinets, among other things. The white-collar worker invaded the office in huge numbers. The new reservoir-based fountain pen and the typewriter were used to produce greater quantities of office documents than ever before. In this context desks which required users to fold and title each letter or document and place it in a pigeon hole, or a small nook, were simply not efficient. It was faster to place an unfolded piece of paper in a folder and place the folder in a file cabinet or file drawer.


Antique Wooton Victoria patent desk
Walnut - American- Circa 1874

Open Width 84"
Closed 41.75"
59.25"H
Closed 29"
open 15"


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Missing Fold down desk and some drawers - See photos