Historical Timeline
1800
1808
George Washington Robinson is born in Providence, Rhode Island.
1811
William Hall is born in West Greenwich, Rhode Island.
1811
September 3: Ezra Blake Robinson is born in Cambridge, Mass.
1818
The New England Glass Co., founded by Deming Jarves and others.
1818
George B. Lothrop born.
Spencer Richards is awarded a patent for a process for finishing glass buttons.
1822
c. 1822
Spencer Richards works with Richard Robinson & Co., the glass button manufacturer founded by Enoch Robinson’s cousins Richard and Willard Robinson.
1824-1825
Enoch Robinson operates machine shop with his brother-in-law Willard Starkey in Attleboro, Mass.
1825
c. 1825
Enoch Robinson begins manufacturing door knobs and other hardware, independently and with Spencer Richards and others, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1825
Enoch Robinson begins association with the New England Glass Co.
1825
Deming Jarves leaves the New England Glass Co.; founds the Boston & Sandwich Glass Co.
1825
Henry Whitney assumes control of the New England Glass Co.
Enoch Robinson & Henry Whitney: “Making Glass Knobs for Doors”
U.S. Patent No. 4,553X
1826
Robinson & Whitney’s glass press revolutionizes flint glass manufacturing.
1828
Congress passes the Tariff Act.
Prices increase on imported goods and raw materials.
Enoch Robinson and Spencer Richards collaborate on the mold for a whale-oil lamp manufactured by the New England Glass Co.
c. 1830
Nichols House
Boston, MA
1830
Charles Bulfinch, Architect, 1804
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
Old State House Restoration
Boston, MA
1830
Robert Twelves, Architect, 1713
Isaiah Rogers, Architect
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
c. 1832
G.W. Robinson, Machinist, Ballard Place
1833
G.W. Robinson, Machinist, 25 Garden.
c. 1833
Enoch Robinson joins Francis Draper, establishes Enoch Robinson & Francis Draper in Boston.
Captain Robert Bennet Forbes House
Milton, MA
1833
Isaiah Rogers, Architect
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
1833
William Enoch Robinson is born in Cambridge, Mass.
1833
William Hall marries Elizabeth Lothrop, the sister of George B. Lothrop.
1834
G.W. Robinson, Machinist, 43 Purchase.
1835
G.W. Robinson, Machinist, North Margin.
The Hermitage
Nashville, TN
1835
Joseph Reiff & William C. Hume, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
c. 1835
Enoch Robinson leaves Cambridge for Boston.
1837
Enoch Robinson parts ways with Francis Draper, and joins his brothers George and Ezra at G.W. Robinson & Co.
1837
G.W. Robinson & Co., 4 Richmond Street.
Enoch, George W., and Ezra B. Robinson manufacture glass door knobs.
1837
“Enoch Robinson & Francis Draper” changes name to “Francis Draper.”
1837
Francis (Frank) Draper Robinson is born in Boston, Mass.
1839
E. Robinson & Co. established.
1839
January 2: E. Robinson & Co., 32 Dock Square.
Cushing-Col. Benton House “Bellmont”
Belmont, MA
c. 1840–1855
Asher Benjamin, Architect
G.W. Robinson & Co., E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturers
Longfellow House
Washington’s Headquarters
Cambridge, MA
1840
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
G.W. & Ezra Robinson: “Spring-Bolt for Door and Other Locks”
U.S. Patent No. 1626
1840
F. Draper: “Glass Knob for Doors, &c”
U.S. Patent No. 1784
1840
1843
William Hall leaves E. Robinson & Co.; founds Wm. Hall & Co., 27 Dock Square, Boston, Mass.
Enoch Robinson: “Improvement in the Method of Attaching Door-Knobs to Their Spindles”
U.S. Patent No. 2904
1843
Willam Hall: “Lock for Safes, Bank-Vaults, &c”
U.S. Patent No. 3221
1843
Willam Hall: “Door Lock or Latch”
U.S. Patent No. 3308
1843
1843
William Francis Hall is born in Brookline, Mass.
1844
April 15: Charles Bulfinch dies.
1846
E. Robinson & Co. moves to 4 Washington Street.
Adams Boston Directory: Robinson Steering Apparatus (Advertisement)
1846
1847
MCMA Exhibition at Faneuil and Quincy Halls, Boston. Among the exhibitors are Enoch Robinson, William Hall, and George B. Lothrop.
1849
Mercury glass is patented in England by Edward Varnish and Frederick Hale Thomson of E. Varnish & Co.
1850
c. 1850-1866
George B. Lothrop works with his brother-in-law William Hall at Wm. Hall &. Co.
1850
Henry John Hall is born in Boston, Mass.
c. 1851
James R. Bugbee becomes partner in E. Robinson & Co.
James R. Bugbee, “Improved Lock and Key”
U.S. Patent 8,060
1851
1851
P.F. Corbin Company founded.
1851
Russell & Erwin founded.
1851
Crystal Palace Exhibition, London.
c. 1855
“Francis Draper” changes name to “F. Draper & Co.”
The Parker House
Boston, MA
1855
Treasury Building (South Wing)
Washington, DC
1861–1865
Robert Mills, Architect, 1861
Isaiah Rogers, Architect (Alteration), 1861
Alexander Hamilton Bowman, Ammi Burnham Young, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
c. 1856
Frederick Gardner Hall is born in Boston, Mass.
1857
G.W. Robinson & Co. moves to 48 Richmond.
The Old South Meeting House
Boston, MA
1857
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
G.W. Robinson: “Steering Apparatus”
U.S. Patent No. 23,265
1859
Arlington Street Church
1861
Arthur Gilman, Gridley J.F. Bryant, Architects
Samuel Ward Residence
1861
G.W. Robinson: “Steering Apparatus”
U.S. Patent No. 32,719
1861
1861
April 12: Civil War starts.
1861
June 28: Joseph Dodge Jewett is born in Lowell, Mass.
Old City Hall
Boston, MA
1862–1865
Gridley J.F. Bryant, Arthur Gilman, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
Treasury Building (West Wing)
Washington, DC
1861–1865
Robert Mills, Architect, 1861
Isaiah Rogers, Architect (Alteration), 1861
Alexander Hamilton Bowman, Ammi Burnham Young, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
E. Robinson & Co. Invoice, 1869
1864
1865
James R. Bugbee, partner with Enoch and William Robinson, leaves E. Robinson & Co.; E. Robinson & Co. changes name to E. Robinson & Son.
1865
Ammi B. Young, in his journal, writes that E. Robinson & Co. “are esteemed the best locksmiths in this country.”
1865
Deming Jarves publishes “Reminiscences of Glass-Making.”
1865
April 9: Civil War ends.
Old Naval Hospital
Washington, DC
1866
Ammi Burnham Young, Architect
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
c. 1866
Bugbee & Hollis founded.
1866
George B. Lothrop leaves Wm. Hall & Co.; establishes George B. Lothrop & Co., at 30 Exchange Street.
1867
E. Robinson & Co. hardware displayed in Paris at the Exposition Universelle d’Art et d’Industrie.
c. 1868
G.W. Robinson & Co. moves to 85 Richmond.
1868
Yale & Towne, founded as Yale Lock Manufacturing Co., in Stamford, Ct.
1868
William Enoch Robinson dies in Somerville, Mass.
1868
June 26: Walter Clifton Vaughan is born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
1872
George Washington Robinson dies in Roxbury, Boston, Mass.
1872
November 9: Great Boston Fire.
1873
G.W. Robinson & Co. sells its buildings at North and Richmond Streets and ceases operation.
1873
E. Robinson & Co. moves to 21 Brattle Street.
Willam Hall: “Bank-Lock”
U.S. Patent No. 11,158
1874
1874
Ezra Robinson receives twelve shares in the Somerville Horse Railroad Company.
1875
1875
William Hall dies in Cohasset, Mass., leaving Wm. Hall & Co to his sons William F., Henry, and Fred.
Francis D. Robinson: “Improvement in Latches for Doors, Etc”
U.S. Patent No. 161,705
1875
1875
July 21: Linwood Stanton Hall is born in Rockland, Maine.
1876
January 26: The Northampton National Bank Heist.
Largest bank robbery in US history; this and other robberies drives the adoption of combination time locks.
Francis D. Robinson: “Improvement in Latches for Doors”
U.S. Patent No. 8,008
1877
1877
September 14: Second US Patent Office fire.
1879
Wm. Hall & Co. moves to 4 Dock Square.
Isaac Bell House
Newport, RI
1881–1883
McKim, Mead & White, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
1881
Fourteenth Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Association.
Enoch Robinson is awarded a diploma and a silver medal for door and furniture trimmings, for new designs and superior workmanship..
c. 1883
Wm. Hall opens factory at 82 Sudbury Street.
1883
John Tein Co. founded.
Willam F. Hall: “Door-Knob Attachment”
U.S. Patent No. 278,704
1883
1883
May 18: Walter Gropius is born.
1888
February 11: Enoch Robinson dies; his son Albert M. Robinson takes over E. Robinson & Co.
c. 1888
E. Robinson & Co. moves to 39–41 Cornhill.
Catalogue and Price List of Polished Brass Furniture Trimmings
1888
Polished Brass Furniture Trimmings
1888
The Parker House (Extension)
Boston, MA
1855
Artistic Hardware, Manufactured by Enoch Robinson
1889
c. 1890
Joseph Jewett sets up shop at 19 Pearl Street.
c. 1891
Walter Vaughan joins Joseph Jewett at 19 Pearl Street.
1892
Ezra Blake Robinson dies in Somerville, Mass.
Francis D. Robinson: “Spring-Hinge”
U.S. Patent No. 503,064
1893
1893
Chicago World’s Fair; attended by Walter and Etta Vaughan on their honeymoon.
1894
George B. Lothrop dies.
1894
July 13: Walter Stafford Vaughan is born in Cambridge, Mass. to Walter Clifton Vaughan and Mosetta Isabella Stafford.
1895
Joseph D. Jewett and Walter C. Vaughan form “copartnership” under the name J.D. Jewett & Co.
1895
J.D. Jewett & Co. moves from 19 Pearl Street to 168 Washington Street, near Dock Square.
Massachusetts State House
Boston, MA
1895
Charles Bulfinch, Architect, 1798
Gridley J.F. Bryant, Architect (Alteration), 1853
Charles Brigham, Architect
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
Glass Knobs
1897
E. Robinson & Co. Envelope
1897
Faneuil Hall
Boston, MA
1898–1899
John Smibert, Architect
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
Massachusetts Historical Society
Boston, MA
1899
Edmund March Wheelwright, Architect
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
1899
Francis Draper Robinson dies in Melrose, Mass.
1900
c. 1900
E. Robinson & Co. hires L. Stanton Hall.
Enoch Robinson Letterhead, with Drawer Pull Design
c. 1900
French Window Weather-Strip & Bolt
c. 1900
E. Robinson & Co. Invoice
1900
Colonial Door Trimmings
c. 1900
Hill-Stead House
Farmington, CT
1901
Theodate Pope Riddle, McKim, Mead & White, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
1902
May 29: J.D. Jewett Co., successor to J.D. Jewett & Co., is incorporated, with Joseph Jewett as president and Walter Vaughan as secretary.
The White House
Washington, DC
1902
John Hoban, Architect, 1792
Benjamin Henry Latrobe, Architect (Alteration), 1801
McKim, Mead & White, Architects
E. Robinson & Co., Manufacturer
1902
Marcel Breuer is born.
1903
July 9: Fire at J.D. Jewett Co.’s store at 168 Washington Street causes several thousand dollars damage.
c. 1905
G.N. Wood & Co. founded.
1905
G.N. Wood & Co. acquires E. Robinson & Co.
1905
February 14: Albert Murray Robinson dies in Somerville, Mass.
Catalogue No. 2 - Glass Knobs
1906
c. 1907
Wm. Hall moves factory to Wollaston (Quincy), Mass.
Catalogue No. 3 - Outside Door Trimmings
1907
Supplement No. 2 - Hinge Plates
c. 1907
1907
Collapse of the Knickerbocker Trust Company of 1907; financial panic of 1907.
1908
December 31: Elmer Hale Pratt is born in Brookline, Mass.
c. 1909
Joseph Jewett and Walter Vaughan end their partnership; Walter Vaughan assumes control of the J.D. Jewett Co.
1909
October 15: The J.D. Jewett Co. is formally renamed the W.C. Vaughan Co.
East Farm (Archibald M. Brown Estate)
Stony Brook, Long Isand, NY
c. 1910
Archibald M. Brown, Architect
Wm. Hall & Co., Manufacturer
Pond Hollow Farm (Peabody Residence)
Old Westbury, Long Island, NY
c. 1910
Julian L. Peabody, Architect
Wm. Hall & Co., Manufacturer
c. 1911
L. Stanton Hall establishes L.S. Hall & Co. at 4 Alden Street.
Catalogue No. 4 - Glass Knobs
1911
Catalogue No. 5 - Outside Door Trimmings
1912
Copley Plaza Hotel
Boston, MA
1912
Henry Janeway Hardenbergh, Architect
G.N. Wood & Co., Manufacturer
Massachusetts State Armory
Wakefield, MA
1913
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1913
Revenue Act of 1913 reduces tariff rates; removes tariffs completely from iron, steel, and other raw materials
.
1914
Fire destroys L.S. Hall & Co.’s shop at Alden Street. Loss: $10,000.
Nutley New Jersey Public Library
Nutley, NJ
c. 1914
Armstrong & DeGelleke, Architects
Wm. Hall & Co., Manufacturer
Heublein Tower
Talcott Mountain State Park, Simsbury, CT
1914
Smith & Bassette, Architects
Wm. Hall & Co., Manufacturer
Littleholme (Harry B. Little Residence)
Concord, MA
c. 1914
Harry B. Little, Architect
Wm. Hall & Co., Manufacturer
1914
World War I begins.
c. 1915
L.S. Hall & Co. acquires G.N. Wood & Co. (formerly E. Robinson & Co.).
Dormer House
Locust Valley, Long Island, NY
1916
Theodate Pope Riddle, Architect
Wm. Hall & Co., Manufacturer
Catalogue No. 6 - Glass Knobs
1916
“William Hall Company” Sweets Architectural Catalogue
1916
1916
William Francis Hall dies.
c. 1918
L.S. Hall & Co. moves to 1 & 2 Haymarket Square.
c. 1918
The W.C. Vaughan Co. acquires L.S. Hall & Co.
L. Stanton Hall stays on as shop superintendent.
1918
November 11: The W.C. Vaughan Co. moves from 168 Washington Street to L.S. Hall’s shop at Haymarket Square on Armistice Day.
1918-1919
Stafford Vaughan attends the Harvard Graduate Program in Architecture; earns Masters.
c. 1918
Henry J. Hall retires from the William Hall Co.
1918
September 12: L. Stanton Hall registers for the draft.
1918
World War I ends.
c. 1919
W.C. Vaughan acquires Wm. Hall & Co.
1919-1922
Stafford Vaughan apprentices at the office of Charles Freely Loring, Jr. in Boston.
1919
January 15: The Great Molasses Flood.
The Purity Distilling Company tank explosion demolishes structures, injures 150, and kills 21.
Harmon Hinge No 806
c. 1920s
1920
Henry John Hall dies in Somerville, Mass.
1921
Ostrander & Eshleman, Inc. founded; exclusive representative of G. & R. Bricard of Paris; distributors of Yale & Towne.
Nebraska State Capitol
Lincoln, NE
1922–1932
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1922-1924
Stafford Vaughan awarded Julia Armory Appleton Fellowship in Architecture for study at the American Academy of Rome; travels in Europe.
“Colonial Forge and Foundry”
c. 1920s
1924
Walter and Etta Vaughan visit Stafford Vaughan in Rome; Walter collects medieval ironwork and hardware.
c. 1924-1933
Stafford Vaughan works for various architects in New York.
1925
1925
Frederick Gardner Hall dies in Boston, Mass.
1926
W.C. Vaughan acquires building at 3–7 Havervill, which houses its forge, foundry, manufacturing, and shipping departments.
The House Beautiful Building Annual
1926
c. 1926
Elmer Hale Pratt joins the Boston Architectural Club; works as draftsman for Perry, Shaw, and Hepburn.
Colonial Williamsburg
Williamsburg, VA
1927–1934
William Graves Perry, Perry, Shaw, & Hepburn, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Philip’s Episcopal Church
Charleston, SC
1927–1938
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1929
Elmer Hale Pratt joins W.C. Vaughan as a draftsman.
Church of the Heavenly Rest
New York, NY
1929
Mayers, Murray & Phillip, Architects
Ostrander & Eshleman, Inc., Distributor
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation
(Edison Institute)
Dearborn, MI
1929
Robert O. Derrick, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1929
Wall Street crash; start of the Great Depression.
Memorial Church of Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
1932
Coolidge, Shepley, Bulfinch & Abbott, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
c. 1933-1941
Stafford Vaughan joins Ostrander & Eshleman, solidifying partnership with the W.C. Vaughan Co.
Watertown First Parish Church
Watertown, MA
1933
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
All Saints Church
Worcester, MA
1934
Frohman, Robb, and Little, G. Adolph Johnson, Architects
G. Adolph Johnson, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1934
Walter Gropius flees Germany for London.
1934
Depth of the Great Depression.
New Old South Church
Boston, MA
1935–1937
Charles Amos Cummings & William Thomas Sears, Architects, 1873
Francis Richmond Allen & Charles Collins, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Stafford Vaughan designs W.C. Vaughan’s lever handle 637, later used on the front door of the Gropius house.
c. 1935
US Department of the Interior
Washington, DC
1936
Waddy Butler Wood, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Corpus Christi Church
New York, NY
1936
Wilfred Edwards Anthony, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
William K. Vanderbilt Estate “Eagle’s Nest”
Centerport, NY
1936
Warren & Wetmore, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
House at Concord, Mass.
Concord, MA
1936
Derby, Barnes, and Champney, Architects, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Rockefeller Apartments
New York, NY
1936
Wallace Kirkman Harrison, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1936
Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer arrive in Cambridge, Mass. at the invitation of Joseph Hudnut, Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Nathaniel Saltonstall House
Medfield, MA
1937
Nathaniel Saltonstall, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church
Washington, DC
c. 1937
James Renwick, Jr., Renwick, Aspinwall & Russell, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Grace Church
New York, NY
c. 1937
James Renwick, Jr., Renwick, Aspinwall & Russell, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Under Elmer Pratt’s direction, W.C. Vaughan Co. introduces Lucite door pulls.
c. 1937
Dillaway-Thomas House
Boston, MA
c. 1937
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1937
June 29: L. Stanton Hall dies.
Mr. & Mrs. G. Holmes Perkins House
Brookline, MA
1938–1939
George Holmes Perkins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
W.C. Vaughan provides hardware for Life Magazine’s “Life Houses.”
1938
Ritz Carlton Hotel
Boston, MA
1938
George Holmes Perkins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Christ Church Cranbrook
Bloomfield, MI
1938
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Gardner-White-Pingree House
Salem, MA
c. 1938
Samuel McIntire, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Breuer House, Lincoln
Lincoln, MA
1938–1939
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Josephine M. Hagerty House
Cohasset, MA
1938–1939
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Pillsbury Summer House
Duxbury, MA
1938
Sarah Pillsbury Harkness, Eleanor Raymond, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Trinity Church
Newton, MA
1938
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
William P. Bartel House
Wayland, MA
1938
Eleanor Raymond, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Exmoor Farm Renovation
Weston, MA
c. 1938
Eleanor Raymond, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Gropius House
Lincoln, MA
1938
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Josephs Church
1938
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Wye House
Queenstown, ML
1938–1939
Robert Key, Builder
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1939
W.C. Vaughan acquires the John Tein Co.
St. Michael’s Church
Litchfield, CT
1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Gov. Gore Mansion
Waltham, WA
c. 1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Ford House
Lincoln, MA
1939
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
Salem, MA
c. 1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
George Nelson House
Scarsdale, NY
1939
Fordyce & Hamby, George Nelson, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Fischer House & Studio
Wrightstown Township, Bucks County, PA
1939
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Argentinian Pavilion
New York, NY
1939
Armando D’ans, Aymar Embury II, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Pennsylvania State Exhibition
New York, NY
1939
Marcel Breuer, Walter Gropius, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Terzaghi House
Winchester, MA
1939–1940
George Holmes Perkins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Life Magazine’s Life Houses
Queens, NY
1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
New York, NY
1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Centenary Church
Winston Salem, NC
1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Saint Anthony’s Church
1939
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1939
New York World’s Fair, the “World of Tomorrow”; W.C. Vaughan supplies hardware for exhibitions including the Argentine Pavilion and Gropius and Breuer’s Pennsylvania State Exhibition.
1939
World War II begins.
Plastics, 1940
Boston, MA
1940
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Robert Woods Kennedy, Curator
Peabody Plywood House
Dover, MA
1940
Eleanor Raymond, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Wrought Iron Hardware
c. 1940s
Brown University
Providence, RI
c. 1940–1950
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Massachusetts General Hospital Chapel
Boston, MA
1940
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Colonial Hand-Forged, Wrought Iron Hardware
c. 1940
Alan IW Frank House
Pittsburgh, PA
1940
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1940
Plastics, 1940.
Exhibition organized by Robert Woods Kennedy at the Boston Institute of Modern Art
1940
February 20: Joseph Dodge Jewett dies in Boston, Mass.
c. 1941
Stafford Vaughan leaves Ostrander & Eshleman, joins the W.C. Vaughan Co.
Abele House
Framingham, MA
1941
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Weizenblatt House
Asheville, NC
1941
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Chamberlain Cottage
Wayland, MA
1941
Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
9 Ash Street House
Cambridge, MA
1941–1942
Philip Cortelyou Johnson, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
John P. Monks House
Lincoln, MA
1941
George Holmes Perkins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Nelson Rockefeller Apartment
New York, NY
1941
Wallace Kirkman Harrison, Architect
Jean-Michel Frank, Interior Design
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Church of the Redeemer
Brookline, MA
1941
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Jackson House
Dover, MA
1941
Elliot Noyes, George Holmes Perkins, Architects
George Holmes Perkins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
c. 1941
Elmer Pratt joins the Massachusetts State Guard.
1941
The US enters World War II.
W.C. Vaughan manufactures torpedo parts for the war effort.
c. 1942
c. 1942
Elmer Pratt draws illustrations for a series of books about military weapons.
1944
Walter Vaughan retires; divides shares in W.C. Vaughan between Stafford Vaughan and Elmer Pratt.
1944
Stafford Vaughan becomes president of W.C. Vaughan.
Geller House I
Lawrence, NY
1945–1946
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Farnsworth House
Plano, IL
1945–1951
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1945
September 2: World War II ends.
1945
Walter Gropius forms TAC (The Architects Collaborative) with Norman Fletcher, John Harkness, and others.
Gilbert Tompkins House
Hewlett Harbor, NY
1946
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Church Christ Scientist
Winchester, MA
1946
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Cronk Chapel
1946
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Joseph
Dover, NH
1946
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
The Glass House
New Canaan, CT
1947–1949
Philip Cortelyou Johnson, Architect
Ostrander & Eshleman, Inc., Distributor
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Old Wye Church
Wye Mills, MD
1947–1949
William Graves Perry, Perry, Shaw, & Hepburn, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Kepes Cottage
Wellfleet, MA
1948–1949
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Robinson House
Williamstown, MA
1948
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Breuer Cottage
Wellfleet, MA
1948–1949
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Hugh Stubbins House
Cambridge, MA
c. 1948
Hugh Asher Stubbins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Lutheran Church
Gardner, MA
1948
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Fischer Guest Cottage
Newtown, PA
1948
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Breuer House I
New Canaan, CT
1948
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Whitney Allen House (Garden)
1948
Mayo Hill Colony Club
Wellfleet, MA
1949
Nathaniel Saltonstall, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Kniffin House
New Canaan, CT
1949
Marcel Breuer, Elliot Noyes, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Our Lady of Mercy Seminary
Lenox, MA
1949
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Andrews Episcopal Church
Wellesley, MA
1949
Nathaniel Saltonstall, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Thomas Church
Hartford, CT
1949
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Thompson House
Ligonier, PA
1949
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Scott House
Dennis, MA
1949
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Wellesley Veterans Housing
Wellesley, MA
1949–1952
Hugh Asher Stubbins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
House in the Museum Garden
Pocantico Hills, NY
1949–1950
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Clarence Howlett House
Belmont, MA
1949–1950
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Six Moon Hill
Lexington, MA
1949–1950
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1950
Vaughan Hardware, Catalog No. 26
c. 1950
Menil House
Houston, TX
1950–1951
Philip Cortelyou Johnson, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Smith House
Aspen, CO
1950
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Zimmerman House
Manchester, NH
1950
Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Causy House
Wakefield, RI
1950
Hugh Asher Stubbins, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Lauck House
Princeton, NJ
1950
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1951
W.C. Vaughan loses 1 Haymarket Square to eminent domain; moves to 32–36 Pitts Street.
Pack House
Scarsdale, NY
1951
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Wolfson Trailer House
Salt Point, NY
1951
Marcel Breuer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Five Fields
Lexington, MA
1951–1957
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Winterthur Museum
New Castle, DE
c. 1951–1969
Henry Francis DuPont, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Edward E. Mills House
New Canaan, CT
1948
Marcel Breuer, Marcel Breuer, Architects
St. Mary’s - The Morning Star Church
Pittsfield, MA
1952
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Joseph’s Cathedral
1952
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1717 Meeting House
West Barnstable, WA
1952–1958
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. George’s Episcopal Church
Schenectady, NY
1953
Samuel Fuller, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Cathedral Church of St. John
Wilmington, DE
1953
James E. Lowe & Sons, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Church in Taunton
Taunton, MA
1953
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
P.M. Herzog House
Boston, MA
1953
Huson Jackson, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Trinity Episcopal Church
Wilmington, DE
1953
Victorine du Pont & Samuel Homsey, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Edward E. Mills House
New Canaan, CT
1948
Marcel Breuer, Marcel Breuer, Architects
Brandeis University Chapels
Waltham, MA
1954–1963
Eero Saarinen, Architect
Eero Saarinen, Max Abramovitz, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Governor’s Palace
New Bern, NC
1954–1956
William Graves Perry, Perry, Shaw, & Hepburn, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Andrews Church
Wellesley, MA
1954
Perry, Shaw, & Hepburn, William Graves Perry, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Scott Residence
Wellfleet, MA
1954
Serge Chermayeff, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Gagarin House
Litchfield, CT
1954–1956
Marcel Breuer, Herbert Beckhard, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Lutheran Church
Boston, MA
1954–1957
Pietro Belluschi, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Brigid’s Church
West Hartford, CT
1954
Curtin & Riley, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Chermayeff Cottage & Studio
Wellfleet, MA
1954
Serge Chermayeff, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
J. Gordon Gibbs House
Marion, MA
c. 1954
George W.W. Brewster, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Hickory, NC
1955
Robert Clemmer, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
United Church
Walpole, MA
1955
Perry, Shaw, & Hepburn, William Graves Perry, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Parish Meeting House
Cohasset, MA
c. 1955
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Harvard Business School
Cambridge, MA
1955
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Christ Church
St. Simons Island, GA
1955
Abreu & Robeson, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Radcliffe College (1879-1999)
Cambridge, MA
1955–1956
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Nathaniel Russell House
Charleston, SC
c. 1955
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
c. 1955
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Bowditch House
Cambridge, MA
1955
Eleanor Raymond, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Catalog 34R: Vaughan Clearview
c. 1950s
West Barnstable Meeting House
Barnstable, MA
1955
E.B. Goodell, Jr, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Mosley House
1955
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Catalog 45: Emergency Exit Lock
c. 1950s
Westwood Parish Hall
1956
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Richard A. Buck House
Manchester, MA
c. 1957
George W.W. Brewster, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1957
The Boston Redevelopment Authority forces W.C. Vaughan’s move from Pitts Street to 77 Washington Street North.
Wye Parish House
Wye Mills, MD
1957
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Monsanto House of the Future
Disneyland, Anaheim, CA
1957
Richard Hamilton & Marvin Goody (MIT), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Hooper House II
Baltimore, MD
1958–1959
Marcel Breuer, Herbert Beckhard, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Revere Pentecostal Church
Revere, MA
1959
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Adelynrood
Byfield, MA
1959
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Murchison House
Provincetown, MA
1959
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Celanese House
New Canaan, CT
1959
Edward Durell Stone, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Lincoln Parsonage
Lincoln, MA
1959
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Vaughan Hardware
c. 1960s
Church in Winston Salem
Winstom Salem, NC
1960
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Harrison Gray Otis House I
Boston, MA
1960
Charles Bulfinch, Architect, 1796
Abbott Lowell Cummings, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
The Oldest House (González-Alvarez House)
St. Augustine, FL
1960
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Royal Danish Embassy
Washington, DC
1960
Vilhelm Lauritzen, The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Church of Advent
Medfield, MA
1960
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Samuel & Minette Kuhn House
Wellfleet, MA
1960
Nathaniel Saltonstall, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Pilgram Congregational Church
1961
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Embassy of the United States
Athens, Greece
1961
Walter Gropius, The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Lutheran Home of Moorestown
Moorestown, NJ
1961
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Lutheran Church of the Newtons
Newton, MA
1961
Nathaniel Saltonstall, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Phillips Academy
Andover, MA
1961
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Social Science Building
Waltham, MA
1961
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
King’s Chapel House
Boston, MA
1961–1964
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company
Boston, MA
1961
The Architects Collaborative (TAC), Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Christ Church
Hamilton, MA
1961
Philip Horton Smith, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Cathedral Church of St. Paul
Boston, MA
1962
Ostrander & Eshleman, Inc., Distributor
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Joseph M. Edinburg House
Brookline, MA
1962
Nathaniel Saltonstall, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Sons of Mary
Framingham, MA
1962
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Ephrata Cloister
Ephrata, PA
1962
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Chermayeff Courtyard House
New Haven, CT
1962
Serge Chermayeff, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Parish Church
Lincoln, MA
1962
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Trinity Episcopal Church
Concord, MA
1962
Anderson, Beckwith and Haible, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Catholic Guild for The Blind
1962
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Edward Carrington House
Providence, RI
1962
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
New England States Exhibition
New York, NY
1962
Nelson W. Aldrich, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
New York, NY
1962
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
MIT Earth Science Building
Cambridge, MA
1962
Pietro Belluschi, Architect
Araldo Cossutta, I.M. Pei, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Columban Parish
Arlington, VT
1963
Dirsa Lampron, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Centenary Methodist Church
Richmond, VA
1963
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Baptist Church
Greensboro, NC
1963
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Hardware for Church
New York, NY
1963
Ostrander & Eshleman, Inc., Distributor
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Presbyterian Church of the Convenant
Greensboro, NC
1963
Harry Barton, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Governor Goodwin Mansion
Chase House
Portsmouth, NH
c. 1963–1965
William Graves Perry, Perry, Shaw, & Hepburn, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1964
Stafford Vaughan retires; Elmer Pratt becomes president of W.C. Vaughan.
Kings Chapel House
Boston, MA
c. 1964
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
People’s Methodist Church
Bradford, MA
1964
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Pierre S. du Pont IV House
Wilmington, DE
1964
Ike W. Colburn, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Stephen’s Church
New York, NY
1964
Ostrander & Eshleman, Inc., Distributor
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Parish Church
Sudbury, MA
1964
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1965
W.C. Vaughan hires Glenn Pratt.
David Rockefeller House
St. Barthelemy, French West Indies
c. 1965
Nelson W. Aldrich, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Peter’s Church
Manset, MA
1965
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Duke University Divinity School
Durham, NC
1965
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Methodist Church
Pearlsburg, VA
1965
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Angela Merici Church
Metaire, LA
1965
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. John’s Chapel
New York, NY
1965
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
Emmitsburg, MD
c. 1965
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Matthew’s German Evangelical Lutheran Church
Charleston, SC
1965–1966
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1966
Edward R. Butler Co. founded by Edwards Butler.
Cranwell School Chapel
Lenox, MA
1966
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
"Smoke Screen Doors Hinged to Pocket"
1966
Trinity Church
Boston, MA
1967
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Old Governor’s Mansion
Milledgeville, GA
1967
Charles B. Cluskey, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
St. Richard’s Church
1967
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1967
January 3: Walter Stafford Vaughan dies in Monterey, California.
Heritage Plantation
Sandwich, MA
1968–1971
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
John Wright Stanly House
New Bern, NC
1968
John Hawks, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
c. 1969
Glen Pratt becomes Vice President of W.C. Vaughan.
1969
Walter Gropius dies.
Catalog No. 72: Classic Sample Collections
c. 1970s
Catalog No. 64R
c. 1970
Vaughan Clearview
Price Sheet #1 Applying to Catalog #34R
1970
Vaughan Hardware
List Price Book No. 1
c. 1970
Emergency Exit Lock #1636
1970
Cover Letter
1970
Marblehead Church
Marblehead, MA
1971
Carpenter Associates, Architects
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Port Tobacco Court House
Port Tobacco, ML
1971
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1972
Glen Pratt leaves W.C. Vaughan.
Clark Art Institute, Manton Research Center
Williamstown, MA
1972
Pietro Belluschi, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
First Church Congregational
Boxford, MA
1972
Merton Stuart Barrows, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1975
First Church Dedham
Dedham, MA
1975
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
Vaughan Hardware
Classic Collections
c. 1970s
1979
Elmer Pratt retires.
The Hebrew College
Brookline, MA
c. 1980
Andrea Leers Browning, Architect
The W.C. Vaughan Co., Manufacturer
1981
Redstone Modern acquires the W.C. Vaughan Co.
1981
Marcel Breuer dies.
1986
Elmer Hale Pratt dies in Cohasset, MA.
1987
Elmer Pratt’s nephew Glenn Albert Pratt, former vice president of W.C. Vaughan, purchases the company from Redstone Modern and re-establishes the business in Braintree, Mass.
1992
E.R. Butler & Co. acquires Ostrander & Eshleman.
Scripps Neurosciences Research Institute
San Diego, CA
1992–1995
Tod Williams Billie Tsien, Architects
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer
1993
E.R. Butler & Co. receives award form the American Institute of Architects (San Diego Chapter) for the Neurosciences Institute at the Scripps Research Institute, “in recognition of the outstanding contribution in design.”
1995
TAC ceases operation.
Central Synagogue
New York, NY
1998–2001
Henry Fernbach, Architect
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer
1999
E.R. Butler & Co. acquires the Quincy Manufacturing Co.
Hermès International S.A. (Flagship)
New York, NY
1999–2007
McKim, Mead & White, Architects, 1927
Beyer, Blinder, Belle, Architects
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer
Tweed Courthouse
New York, NY
1999–2001
John Kellum, Architect, 1861
Leopold Eidlitz, Architect (Alteration), 1871
John G. Waite Associates, Architects
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer
2000
Gracie Mansion
New York, NY
2002
Jamie Drake, Architect
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer
Harrison Gray Otis House II
Boston, MA
2011
Charles Bulfinch, Architect, 1802
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer
George W. Bush Library
University Park, TX
2012
Robert A.M. Stern, Architects
2012
May 7: Rhett Butler, of E.R. Butler & Co., receives the Arthur Ross Award for Artisanship from the Institute for Classical Architecture & Art.
Astor Beechwood Mansion
Newport, RI
2016
Downing & Vaux, Architects, 1852
Richard Morris Hunt, Architect (Alteration), 1881
McKim, Mead & White, Architects (Alteration), 1901
John Grosvenor, Architect
E.R. Butler & Co., Manufacturer