Scovill Manufacturing Company

Scovill Manufacturing Company began in Waterbury, Connecticut, with roots going back to 1802, when the business was founded as Abel Porter & Co. It was officially organized as Scovill Manufacturing Company in 1850, when James and William H. Scovill consolidated the growing operation. Over time, the company became one of the defining firms of Waterbury’s brass industry.

Its product line was remarkably broad. Sources describe Scovill making brass buttons, metal plates for daguerreotype photography, lamps, coin blanks for the United States Mint, and artillery munitions. In the 20th century it expanded further through acquisitions, including Hamilton Beach in 1923, the Oakville Company in 1924, and the Schrader Company a few years later, adding electrical housewares, safety pins, and automotive tire valves to its reach.

Scovill eventually became one of the major employers in Waterbury and a key part of the city’s reputation as the center of the Brass Valley. Historical collections note that by the 1960s the company operated internationally and had become a world leader in snap fasteners. No suitable verified portrait image applies here, since this is a company rather than an individual author.