List of oldest companies in the United States

This list of the oldest companies in the United States includes brands and companies, excluding associations, educational, government or religious organizations. To be listed, a brand or company name must remain, either whole or in part, since inception. To limit the scope of this list, only companies established before 1820 are listed. If the original name has since changed due to acquisitions or renaming, this must be verifiable. Entries in grey indicate that the companies have endured some significant change in their status or condition.

YearCompanyLocationFieldReferenceNotes1613Shirley PlantationCharles City County, VirginiaFarm1623Avedis Zildjian CompanyNorwell, MassachusettsMusic companyFounded in Istanbul, moved to the U.S. in 1929.1632–1633Tuttle's Red BarnDover, New HampshireFarm1639Field View FarmOrange, ConnecticutFarm1642Barker's FarmNorth Andover, MassachusettsFarm1648–1651, 1662 (as retail)ShirokiyaHonolulu, HawaiiLacquer, retailOld Tokyo: Shirokiya Department Store Founded in Tokyo, moved to the U.S. in 1958. Defunct in 2021.1667Seaside InnKennebunkport, MaineHotel1670Hudson's Bay CompanyNew York CityRetailFounded in England by Royal Charter, headquartered today in Toronto and New York City. Liquidated in 2025.1673White Horse TavernNewport, Rhode IslandRestaurant1680SaunderskillAccord, New YorkFarm1690Towle SilversmithsBoston, MassachusettsSilversmith Absorbed by Lifetime Brands, Inc.1702J.E. Rhoads & SonsMarple, Pennsylvania (found.)Tannery Closed 2009; now a brand of Mid Atlantic Industrial Belting Inc.1705The John Stevens ShopNewport, Rhode IslandStone carver1711Orchards of ConcklinPomona, New YorkOrchard1720sSmiling Hill FarmWestbrook, MaineFarm (and lumber mill since 1970s)1725Pottstown Roller MillPottstown, PennsylvaniaGrain, FeedNow owned by Purina Mills.1736Lakeside MillsSpindale, North CarolinaCorn products1741Lyman OrchardsMiddlefield, ConnecticutFarm, Orchard & Golf Courses1741WD CowlsAmherst, MassachusettsLumber1752The Philadelphia ContributionshipPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInsurance1752Caswell-MasseyNewport, Rhode Island (found.)PerfumeSold 2003–2007; re-branded 2017.1760Lorillard Tobacco CompanyNew York City (found.)TobaccoDefunct 2016; brand owned by Reynolds American.1764–1765Baker'sDorchester, Massachusetts (found.)Chocolate, confectioneryCommittee of the Dorchester Antiquarian and Historical Society "History of the Town of Dorchester, Massachusetts", Boston, E. Clapp, Jr., 1859, page 627.Now a brand of Kraft Heinz.1764The Hartford CourantHartford, ConnecticutNewspaper1767McCrady's Tavern and Long RoomCharleston, South CarolinaRestaurantClosed 2020.1774AmesChicopee, MassachusettsManufacturingBy 1907, the Ames foundries had been purchased by Chicopee's A.G. Spalding Company.1776The Griswold InnEssex, ConnecticutRestaurant and Hotel1778Dowse OrchardsSherborn, MassachusettsFarm1778The GreenbrierWhite Sulphur Springs, West VirginiaHotel1778Willow Grove InnOrange, VirginiaHotel1779Old Talbott TavernBardstown, KentuckyHotel1780Laird & CompanyColts Neck Township, New JerseyDistillery1782Levi GarrettNew York City (found.)Chewing tobaccoNow a brand of the American Snuff Company.1783Rawle & Henderson LLPPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaLaw firm"Two old-guard law firms squabble over title of oldest, by Virginia Maida Randall", UPI, June 5, 1992. Retrieved August 1, 2019.1784D. Landreth Seed CompanyPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania (found.)Seeds1784Bank of New YorkNew York CityBankMerged 2007 into The Bank of New York Mellon.1785Bixler'sAllentown, PennsylvaniaJewelry1785Turpin FarmsCincinnati, Ohio (found.)Farm1786Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh, PennsylvaniaNewspaper1790King Arthur FlourBoston, Massachusetts (found.)Flour and bakingNow based in Norwich, Vermont.1792Cadwalader, Wickersham & TaftNew York CityLaw firm1792Insurance Company of North AmericaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania (found.)InsuranceNow Chubb Limited1792New York Stock ExchangeNew York CityStock Exchange1792Old Farmer's AlmanacDublin, New HampshireAlmanac1792State StreetBoston, MassachusettsBanking1794Baltimore EquitableBaltimore, MarylandInsurance1794Rochester CablesCulpeper, VirginiaCablesNow a brand of TE Connectivity.1794Warner CompanyWilmington, DelawareMiningDefunct.1795Murray, Draper, Fairman & CoPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaManufacturingMerged 1858 into the American Banknote Corporation1795DixonJersey City, New Jersey (found.)PencilsNow based in Lake Mary, Florida.1795Jim BeamClermont, KentuckyDistillery1796Shreve, Crump & LowBoston, MassachusettsJewelryBrownstone at 39 Newbury Street, Boston Massachusetts with Elevator (1-617-267-9100) Accessibility1797The Birkett MillsPenn Yan, New YorkMill-Buckwheat products Based in Penn Yan, New York1797J. Gruber's Hagerstown Town & Country AlmanackHagerstown, MarylandAlmanack1797Wayside InnMiddletown, VirginiaHotel1798Alan McIlvainPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania (found.)Sawmill1798–1809Pratt-ReadIvoryton, ConnecticutTools1798W. RoseBlockley Township, PennsylvaniaTools1800Washington Trust CompanyWesterly, Rhode IslandBank1801Crane & Co.Dalton, MassachusettsPapermakingNow a subsidiary of Crane Co.1801Revere Copper CompanyCanton, Massachusetts (found.)Copper Processing Now based in Rome, New York.1802DuPontWilmington, DelawareChemicalsMerged 2017 into DuPont de Nemours, Inc.1803WawaNew JerseyIron FoundryHas since become convenience stores1803Golden Lamb InnLebanon, OhioRestaurantThe oldest restaurant in Ohio1806ColgateNew York CityConsumer goods1807WileyNew York City (found.)PublisherNow based in Hoboken, New Jersey.1810Black, Starr & FrostNew York CityJeweler1810The HartfordHartford, ConnecticutFinancial1811PfaltzgraffYork County, PennsylvaniaTablewareSold to Lifetime Brands, Inc. in 2005. Only Internet presence.1811Davenport PetersBoston, MassachusettsLumberDefunct 1991.1812City Bank of New YorkNew York CityBankNow Citigroup1812House-Autry MillsFour Oaks, North CarolinaFood products (cornmeal, mixes, breaders)Founded as a gristmill in Newton Grove, NC; merged with Autry Brothers Mill in 1967. Produces cornmeal, breaders, and hushpuppy mixes.1813ContiGroupArlon (then Belgium.)FoodExpanded to the U.S. in 1921.1813Seth ThomasPlymouth Hollow, ConnecticutClockmakerDefunct. Now a brand of CST Enterprises.1815Louisville StonewareLouisville, KentuckyPottery1815The RepositoryCanton, OhioNewspaperOldest continuously published newspaper in Ohio1816Hodgdon YachtsEast Boothbay, MaineYachts1816The York Water CompanyYork, PennsylvaniaWater utility1816RemingtonIlion, New YorkFirearms; typewriters1816Stark Brothers Nurseries and OrchardsLouisiana, MissouriFarm1817HarperNew York CityPublishingMerged 1989 into HarperCollins.1817JB & SonProvidence, Rhode IslandApothecary/DruggistOur History, claflin.com1873 renamed to The Claflin Company.1818Breck'sBoston, Massachusetts (found.)FlowersNursery Sample Books, University of Delaware Library.Acquired by Gardens Alive!1818Libbey IncorporatedToledo, OhioGlasswareFormerly Libbey Glass Company and New England Glass Company1818Brooks BrothersNew York CityThe oldest apparel/clothing brand in continuous operation in the United States.Founder = Henry Sands Brooksfiled for bankruptcy protection in July 2020. In September 2020 Brooks Brothers was purchased by a joint venture between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group.1818Brown Bros. & Co.Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (found.)BankMerged 1931 into Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.1818Marshall ElevatorPittsburgh, Pennsylvania (found.)ElevatorsAcquired by Otis.1819Jacob BromwellCincinnati, Ohio (found.)HousewaresIncorporated on 1883.1819Cravath, Swaine & MooreNew York CityLaw firm1826George Tiemann & Co.Smithtown, NYSurgical InstrumentsFamily owned1875Mueller Roofing DistributorsCincinnatiRoofing Distributor See also List of oldest companies List of oldest companies in Australia

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