[2][3] Together, their works in wood are regarded as early examples of the American Craft movement, specifically for the state of New Jersey.

[6] While Anderson enjoyed economics and public affairs, she was faced with limited prospects when she had to find work quickly following the couple’s move to Chicago.

The couple used wood from the acreage’s walnut, oak, birch, and ash trees to create some of their earliest custom-built furniture.

One such couple, Sandy and Louis Grotta (he was the former president of Paige Electric), discovered the Andersons’ work on a visit to the Museum of Modern Art in the late 1950s.

[8] Sandy Grotta stated that upon seeing their work she fell in love and promptly “came home and got rid of all [her] furniture.”[8] Upon discovering the Andersons, Sandy Grotta’s passion for collecting was ignited and she and her husband Louis set off on a six-decade long journey of prolific arts patronage.

[9] They completed each task on their own, from digging the foundation, to installing the heating and plumbing, to crafting the built-in storage and furniture.

[10] In the 1990s, following decades of woodworking, Anderson had to stop turning wood due to a severe cough she had developed years before.