Reed & Barton
Encyclopedia
Silversmith
A silversmith is a craftsperson who makes objects from silver or gold. The terms 'silversmith' and 'goldsmith' are not synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product varies greatly as does the scale of objects created.Silversmithing is the...
manufacturer based in the city of Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, since 1824. Its products include sterling silver
Sterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
and silverplate flatware. The company has produced many varieties of silver and pewter products since Henry G. Reed and Charles E. Barton took over the failing pewter
Pewter
Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C ,...
works of Isaac Babbitt
Isaac Babbitt
Isaac Babbitt was in 1839 the inventor of a low-friction tin-based metal alloy, Babbitt metal, that is used extensively in engine bearings today.-References:...
in Taunton. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Reed & Barton produced a considerable quantity of weapons for Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldiers and officers.
In 1928, Reed & Barton merged with silversmith Dominick & Haff.
Reed & Barton was chosen to design and produce the official gold, silver, and bronze medals for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, of which there are samples on display at the Old Colony Historical Society
Old Colony Historical Society
The Old Colony Historical Society is located at 66 Church Green in Taunton, Bristol County, Massachusetts, USA.Since 1926, the Society has occupied the historic former Bristol Academy school building...
museum in Taunton. The company's products are used at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Today, the company operates a factory store at the plant site, an outlet store at Wrentham Premium Outlets in Wrentham, Massachusetts
Wrentham, Massachusetts
Wrentham is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,955 at the 2010 census.- History :Wrentham was first settled by the English in 1660 and officially incorporated in 1673. It was burned down during King Philip's War 1675-1676. For a short time, it was the...
, and an online store as well.
The company has remained privately owned by the family of Henry Reed. Besides the flatware, Reed & Barton operates other brands as well:
- Reed & Barton Handcrafted Chests, the world's largest manufacturer of handmade chests, cigar humidors, pen chests, and hardwood flatware.
- Miller Rogaska Crystal, handmade stemware.
- Sheffield Collection, a company started in 1908 and purchased by Reed & Barton in 1973.
- Everyday stainless steel flatware designed for durability (and modern conveniences like dishwashers).
- It is the exclusive American importer of Belleek Fine Parian ChinaBelleek Pottery LtdBelleek Pottery Ltd is a porcelain company that began trading in 1887 as the Belleek Pottery Works Company Ltd in Belleek, County Fermanagh, in what was to become Northern Ireland. The factory produces porcelain that is characterised by its thinness, slightly iridescent surface and that the body is...
and AynsleyAynsley ChinaAynsley China Ltd. is a British manufacturer of bone china tableware, giftware and commemorative items. The company was founded in 1775 by John Aynsley in Lane End, Longton, Staffordshire. In 1861 his grandson John Aynsley built the historic Portland Works on Sutherland Road, Longton. The company...
Fine English Bone China Tableware.
Books about Reed & Barton:
- The Whitesmiths of Taunton: A History of Reed & Barton 1824-1943, George Sweet Gibb, 1943.
- Sterling Seasons - The Reed & Barton Story, Renee Garrelick, 1998.
See also
- Reed and Barton ComplexReed and Barton ComplexReed and Barton Complex is an historic industrial complex at West Brittania and Danforth Streets in Taunton, Massachusetts.The site was constructed from 1830 and added to the National Historic Register in 1984....
- Bristol County, MassachusettsBristol County, Massachusetts-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 534,678 people, 205,411 households, and 140,706 families residing in the county. The population density was 962 people per square mile . There were 216,918 housing units at an average density of 390 per square mile...
- Greater Taunton AreaGreater Taunton Arearight|thumb|200px|A map of the Greater Taunton AreaThe Greater Taunton Area is the suburban area surrounding the city of Taunton, in northeastern Bristol County, Massachusetts. It comprises various present-day municipalities that were once under the jurisdiction of Taunton in Colonial America...