C. P. Dean has a reputation of excellence and distinction. As the company moves forward, a look back at its long and enduring history explains how it all began, why the company is successful, and how our reputation of excellence is maintained. Behind C. P. Dean is a series of people and events who demand a level of quality that creates customers who are proud and satisfied with products that enhance and enrich their lives.
In 1886, Charles Preston Dean opened C.P. Dean, a manufacturing company located at 10 Governor’s Street, Richmond, Virginia. The company specialized in bank fixtures, furniture for saloon’s and clubs including bars, ice boxes, and pool tables. Dean also practiced horse husbandry as he delivered his products by horse and buggy, before Richmond became home to the first trolley system in the US. Mahogany proved of great value. The fine wood was part of nearly every fixture. Today, a variety of wood is available, and of equal great value, but then, mahogany, rich and dark was the wood of choice.
In the spring of 1903, Maggie Walker chartered the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank. Little did Walker know, her tenacity and strength, not simply being the first woman to charter a bank in the US but the first black woman to charter a bank in the U.S., would spread to those working on the interior of the bank. William Selden III, a young woodworker with American Furniture and Fixture, was part of the crew tasked to install the teller stands and fixtures at this new bank, provided by C. P. Dean. Later that year, Charles Dean suffered a fatal heart attack as he was walking home through capital square. Seeing an opportunity to realize his lifelong dream of owning a business, William Selden III bought C.P. Dean from the family. He continued the work of the founder and kept the C.P. Dean name as it had become synonymous with top quality products and prompt service.
In 1914, Richmond became the headquarters of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve Bank and soon new banks began opening all over the city. Selden’s experience and C.P. Dean’s reputation paid off and the company was contracted to build and install beautiful mahogany teller stands and lobby fixtures in a majority of the newly built banks.
By the end of World War I, C.P. Dean had established itself as the premier supplier of mahogany bank fixtures, saloon bars and of course, billiards tables. The Roaring 20’s saw the saloon bar business, while in the heat of Prohibition (that pesky 18th Amendment to the US Constitution, couldn’t keep C. P. Dean or Richmond down, ever hear of the “Speak-Easy?”) flourish as well as other great additions to Richmond’s history.
In 1925, Richmond welcomed its first radio station, WRVA. The following year, the Mosque, now known as the Altria Theatre, was completed, and C.P. Dean furnished a significant amount of the elaborate woodwork. The Byrd Theater followed shortly thereafter in 1928. In its first 50 years in business, C.P. Dean Company survived A World War, a global pandemic (The Spanish Flu), prohibition, and The Great Depression. The Company continuously adapted to the needs of its customers and its community. In the business’s favor, the dawn of the Great Depression also signaled the dawn of the Golden Age of billiard parlors. There were more than 18 billiards parlors in the Richmond area at this time, and almost every single one played on C.P. Dean tables.
Tragically, in 1940, William Selden III suffered a heart attack and passed away. Following the event, an 18 year old Thomas Jefferson High School alumnus William Selden IV became the acting president of C.P. Dean. However, the business was put on hold during World War II as William Selden IV joined many of his countrymen and enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served honorably, and upon the end of the war, he restarted the family business. C.P. Dean focused primarily on billiard tables during the Post-World War II period by manufacturing and servicing the 100s of tables located on military bases throughout Virginia.
In 1948, Richmond welcomed its first TV station, WTVR. Selden and C.P. Dean began selling TVs and Radios by Motorola and RCA, which proved to be very profitable. Following the 50’s, the company decided to move inventory to a bigger space. C.P. Dean relocated to 1611 West Broad Street where they joined Pleasant’s Hardware and Whitten Brothers motors on the busy intersection of Lombardy and Broad.
The competition in the TV market was fierce, and, by 1949, a company right down Broad Street, Wards TV (later known as Circuit City), was leading the way. To take the place of TV sales, C.P. Dean began a trophies, plaques, and engraving division, which is still an important part of the business. The manufacturing side of the business was winding down, and C.P. Dean began to sell other manufacturer’s tables, becoming the first Brunswick dealer in Virginia.
In 1968, Selden moved the company to 3001 Cutshaw Avenue, tripling the company’s floor space as the retail side of the business began to really take off. The service department saw huge growth through assembling, restoring, and recovering pool tables throughout Virginia.
In 1972, William Selden V joined his father in the company and established a sporting goods division that served youth teams and schools. The Company grew to open 6 new sporting goods retail stores that outfitted thousands of Richmonders through the 80’s and 90’s. With the advent of the “Big Box” stores, the decision was made to return C.P. Dean to its two strongest and most experienced departments: billiards and awards.
In 2003, William Selden IV passed away, having worked 63 years with his company. In 2010, William Selden V was honored as Richmond Retailer of the Year by the Retail Merchants Association for his company’s continued service to the community and customers. In 2012, Selden opened a satellite location nearby to access additional manufacturing space. In 2014, Selden moved the company fully to the manufacturing and warehousing facility, adding a showroom element to the building.
The Ball Family, Sarah, Melissa, and Jonathan, acquired C.P. Dean on September 1st, 2021. As long term business neighbors, their commitment to customer service lended the family to a smooth transition. Just next door, Ball Office Products provides superior commercial office furniture, supplies, and design services.
In November of 2021, the Ball Family purchased the Westmoreland St. building that the business resides in and began a remodel, focusing on vignettes and full game room design. Sarah Ball works as the acting President of the company and she led the development of creating a larger online presence, adding new products to the lineup, and a re-design of the facility.
C.P. Dean still follows the vision of its founder. Three generations of Seldens, a 118 year legacy, sold a quality product at a fair price with attention and service that only a family business can give. This tradition is still in effect today. William Selden V continued to work at C.P. Dean until September of 2022. He taught and mentored the new owners to continue the company’s reputation of customer service.
On August 30th, 2022, C.P. Dean acquired West End Trophies - a local awards and game room store located in Innsbrook. Gene Taylor, the owner of West End Trophies, came to work for the company and led the addition of bowling back into the C.P. Dean offerings.
In December of 2023, C.P. Dean signed a lease in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake to open a satellite location in the Tidewater area. They held a ribbon cutting event on Friday, February 16th, 2024. This location also provides a showroom, workshop, and warehouse in one location and allows The Company to better service the eastern portion of The Commonwealth.
C.P. Dean still has Virginia’s largest selection of pool tables and game tables. Whether playing cards or just entertaining, we offer game tables to suit your lifestyle, including pool, poker, texas-hold’em, foosball, air hockey, ping pong, bumper pool, and snooker, and carom tables. The store also features a large selection of darts, bowling, and billiard accessories. Awards and trophies from C. P. Dean are limited only by your imagination - elegant plaques of beautifully finished wood and brass, custom engraved for any occasion, artfully crafted awards and trophies of acrylic, resin, glass, crystal, pewter, and more. Turnaround times vary by product. At times, we can complete an engraved product in as little as 24 hours. C.P. Dean is Virginia’s most experienced billiard service provider, with the ability to re-felt, restore, repair, move and store your existing billiard table from your game room. Old tables are brought into our facility in a variety of conditions, but they all leave as good as new or better.