The oldest name in American housewares, Jacob Bromwell® artfully designs and produces the world's finest flasks, kitchenware, and lifestyle goods.
Established in 1819, Jacob Bromwell® is the oldest housewares company in the United States—a name woven into the fabric of American life for over two centuries. Every product we make carries forward our founder’s spirit of craftsmanship and integrity, reflected in our historic brand mark taken from his own hand-signed signature. While much of the industry has long moved offshore, we remain proudly committed to American workers, continuing to craft many of our goods right here in the USA and holding all others to the same uncompromising standards. For generations, Jacob Bromwell® has built more than housewares—we’ve built a legacy. In our own small way, we helped build America.
A Story of Success
1819: Born on the American Frontier
Jacob Bromwell, a veteran of the War of 1812, set out from Baltimore with little more than a flatboat, a few wire looms, and an iron will. He drifted down the Ohio River to a fledgling Cincinnati—then a frontier town carved from dense forest—and launched what would become America’s first housewares company. He called it The Bromwell Brush Manufacturing Company, and it quickly grew alongside the young nation itself.
Supplying a Nation on the Move
As America expanded westward, Jacob Bromwell® products became household staples. Pioneers packed our flour sifters, popcorn poppers, and frying pans into covered wagons and riverboats. During the Civil War, our tin cups traveled with Union soldiers—the same design we still make by hand today. Through every chapter of our nation’s growth—the Gold Rush, the Transcontinental Railroad, and beyond—Jacob Bromwell® was there.
Surviving Booms, Busts, and Wars
By the early 1900s, the company had moved to Michigan City, Indiana, thriving during the Roaring ’20s but weathering the Great Depression with resilience. Even when we could only operate three days a week, our commitment never wavered: to craft the highest quality kitchen and camp goods designed to last for generations.
An American Legacy That Lives On
More than two centuries later, Jacob Bromwell® remains proudly family-owned and America’s oldest housewares company. We continue to manufacture many of our products here in the USA—supporting American workers—while holding any goods produced overseas to the same uncompromising standards. Every piece we make carries the spirit of our founder: durable, honest, and built to last.
From the First Customer to the Next Century
Few companies have stood the test of time like Jacob Bromwell®. From our first customer in 1819 to homes around the globe today, the tools have stayed simple—and the memories unforgettable. If our humble workshop could grow into a brand recognized worldwide, imagine where the next century will take us. One thing is certain: Jacob Bromwell® will be there.
Jacob Bromwell is Born
• 1785 •
Our story truly begins in 1785 with the birth of our founder, Jacob Bromwell (1785-1866), who was born in Richmond, VA, a country village not far from Cincinnati, OH. He is not to be confused with his grandson, Jacob Henry Bromwell, born May 11, 1848, who was a former U.S. Representative from Ohio. Mr. Bromwell is educated in the Quaker Schools of Baltimore, MD and becomes a young soldier of the War of 1812. He returns home with an entrepreneurial spirit and a strong desire to start his own business.
The Start of a Legend
• 1819 •
A frontier entrepreneur, Jacob Bromwell leaves Baltimore and forges his way across the American frontier. He travels west via the Ohio River on a flatboat, ending his journey in a small town with the funny name of Cincinnati. The Panic of 1819 strikes – America’s first major financial crisis – yet that same year he opens America’s first wire goods and housewares manufacturing company. Located at 181 Walnut Street, his company occupies all six floors and boasts over 1,000 products in its catalog.
Patented First Flour Sifter
• 1835 •
The company patents the world's first flour sifter and continues to create cutting-edge products that fulfill the demands of American pioneers, including shoe brushes, leather and wood horse shiners, dusting and window brushes, mops, rat traps, and corn poppers. They were meticulously crafted by hand with portions constructed on innovative machinery to quicken production.
A Pie Plate with a Pedigree
• 1848 •
Resourceful miners and pioneers of the Old West use our pie plates – sometimes called pie pans – to pan for gold during the California Gold Rush of 1848 as they search for infinite treasure. Our company still makes these pie plates the same way, and you can purchase them for baking something scrumptious for your next gathering. You might just strike gold!
Tin Drinking Cups
• 1862 •
The company supplies its tin drinking cups to Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War – marked U.S. for United States and C.S. for Confederate States. Standard issue during the Civil War, we still produce these cups today without welding, soldering, or rivets – all with a little help from the original machinery and equipment.
Continued Growth
• 1866 •
Jacob Bromwell spends his retirement years in Cincinnati surrounded by his children and grandchildren, and is greatly adored for his kind and amiable character. He is said to have been a large portly man and to have kept an open house and table for all his friends and kindred. He passes away in 1866 while demand for his company’s tin cups, popcorn poppers, graters and more increase, reaching new heights.
Official Incorporation
• 1883 •
During its first 50 years of business, the company undergoes several name changes, including The Bromwell Brush Manufacturing Company and The Bromwell Wire Goods Company. On February 12, 1883, the business files for incorporation and finally settles on the name The Bromwell Brush & Wire Goods Company.
100 Year Anniversary
• 1919 •
The Bromwell Brush & Wire Goods company celebrates 100 years in continuous business and remains family owned. The company has upwards of 1,000 employees in 7 states, including Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. As the largest business of its kind, it bills itself as having "the largest capacity in the country.” Much of the manufacturing is done through convict labor, employing prisoners at wages averaging about 35 cents per day.
The Company Splits
• 1923 •
The fireplace division of the company is purchased by the Gerwe family, who opens a fireplace store in Cincinnati, OH that is still open today called Bromwell’s. It is now owned by the McClorey family and has been since 2005. The housewares division of the company (this company) is purchased by Leigh Products, Inc.
The Move to Michigan City, IN.
• 1925 •
Under the ownership of Leigh Products, the company gets relocated to a 4-story building at 601 N. Carroll Ave. in Michigan City, where they enjoyed the Roaring 1920s followed immediately by the heartbreak of the Great Depression. Sales fall drastically, yet the company continues to operate just three days per week to continue employing hard working Americans.
Numerous Distinctions Earned
• 1945 •
By 1945, the company earns numerous distinctions, including being "the oldest known manufacturer of tin and stainless steel products in the United States", "the oldest housewares company in North America", and "the 34th oldest continuously owned and operated company in the United States."
1 Millionth Popcorn Popper
• 1952 •
The Original Popcorn Popper, one of the oldest products in the product line, was originally sold at a wholesale price of $3.50 for a gross. In 1952, the company proudly announces the sale of its one millionth popcorn popper. Walmart celebrates its success with the company and special signs are put on display at Walmart stores to further promote the company’s products.
New Ownership
• 1987 •
Leigh Products divests its interest in the company and sells Bromwell Housewares outright to a private investor. Under new ownership in the late 1980s, Bromwell Housewares sustains its success and continues to distribute its namesake, mass market goods to nationwide discount stores, hardware stores, supermarkets, and drug stores, including Walmart, K-Mart, Target, and Ace Hardware. At this point, it is estimated that 1 in 4 American households owns a Bromwell product.
Relocation of Headquarters
• 1991 •
Headquarters relocates to Phoenix, AZ while the factory in Michigan City, IN continues to operate. While nearly all housewares companies based in America move production offshore to capitalize on low labor costs, Bromwell keeps production local due to its faith in the creativity and productivity of American workers. Lower cost imports make their way onto the shelves of big box retail stores, and demand for the company's products decline throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Turnaround of an Icon
• 2010 •
With sales at an all-time low, Bromwell Housewares nearly files bankruptcy and disappears into history. New ownership steps in to revitalize the failing company which was once a household name. The Michigan City factory is closed due to unsafe worker conditions, while the product line is reduced and quality is vastly improved. The newly renamed Jacob Bromwell® brand is focused solely on producing best-in-class products.
The Move to Markle, IN.
• 2011 •
Jacob Bromwell® begins production at its new plant in Markle, IN, featuring state-of-the-art machinery and safe working conditions. Products manufactured at this factory include the Classic Tin Cup and Original Popcorn Popper, both of which have become important icons of 19th-century domestic Americana. By focusing on the brand’s reputation for durability, quality, and exclusivity, the company sees a resurgence in sales and a return to profitability.
Creators of a New Category
• 2012 •
Jacob Bromwell® brings to market the world’s first copper flask and it becomes an instant success, catapulting the company’s sales and helping to garner nationwide press in publications such as Country Living, People, Esquire, and Martha Stewart Living. In response to the increased demand, the company opens a domestic copper fabrication workshop in Vermont.
Greensburg Factory Conversion
• 2014 •
One of the company’s original factories located at 530 W. First Street in Greensburg, IN factory is converted into apartments. In fact, this two-story building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. How would you like to live in a building that once made Jacob Bromwell® tin cups, flour sifters, popcorn poppers, and wire-based household items?
Indiana State Museum Exhibit
• 2015 •
Jacob Bromwell® proudly donates several original pieces of machinery and equipment to a permanent exhibit at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis, IN. Historical Bromwell products can also be found at a number of museums across the country, including The Rossen House in Phoenix, AZ.
200 Year Anniversary
• 2019 •
The company proudly celebrates its 200th anniversary, serving a "cult following" group of customers, including homesteaders and environmentalists, hunters and fishers, the "chronically nostalgic", interior designers, and even Hollywood celebrities and U.S. Presidents.
Pewter Flask Line
• 2021 •
Jacob Bromwell® introduces a luxury flask line made out of solid pewter, using the same techniques as our copper flasks. The timeless looks and build quality of pewter allow these flasks to be shared across multiple generations, just like the appreciation for the fine spirits they hold.
Entry Into Luxury Watches
• 2023 •
In response to strong consumer interest for high quality timepieces with character, the company develops a process of infusing its authentic products into a unique timepiece that tell a story for generations. History takes on a whole new meaning when you can hold it in your hand.
