History of the House of P. & F. Corbin: Doen, Corbin & Company (1849)

Posted on November 3, 2026 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from P. & F. Corbin’s History of the House of P. & F. Corbin. Published in 1904, it recounts the companies’ history on it’s 50th anniversary. We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1904, albeit in a different medium.

Doen, Corbin & Company (1849)

In the summer of 1848, Philip Corbin had fully determined that he must find employment elsewhere, and he and his brother Frank, after canvassing the matter fully, took into their counsel a brass founder by the name of Edward Doen, a good workman, and skilled in all branches of his trade. After much planning it was decided to a form a copartnership under the above caption and go into business for themselves. Each of the three men could furnish three hundred dollars, making a joint capital of nine hundred dollars, barely sufficient to equip a small – a very small – shop.

Land was procured in the eastern part of the town from Mr. Samuel Kelsey (a grandfather of Mrs. Philip Corbin and universally known as “Squire” Kelsey, and a contract was made with Mr. Henry W. Whiting for a two-story frame factory building, with stone foundation, and with a cellar extending under the entire building, the price for land and building being about six hundred dollars. In October, the cellar was dug and the wall was built, and Philip Corbin spent Thanksgiving Day in 1848 in banking the foundation to protect it from the winter frosts. In the following spring, the building was erected. A horse-power trade-mill which had seen some use had been contracted for in the fall before and was now installed in the cellar, and connected with the machinery, consisting of a grindstone, an emery wheel, and two lathes; a big black horse was bought to turn the machinery; two furnaces for casing (another was added a little later, when a small building was erected in the yard for a foundry) were built in the little lean-to in the rear, and by May of 1849 the plant was ready for operations. Everything was paid for in cash, and the three partners stepped into their establishment with a factory free from incumbrance and a cash balance of somewhat less than two hundred dollars – with which to buy metal and conduct the business. Continue reading →

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History of the House of P. & F. Corbin: The Founder and Head of the House of Corbin

Posted on October 27, 2026 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from P. & F. Corbin’s History of the House of P. & F. Corbin. Published in 1904, it recounts the companies’ history on it’s 50th anniversary. We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1904, albeit in a different medium.

The Founder and Head of the House of Corbin

Hon. Philip Corbin, the founder of the commercial house of Corbin and its active manager and head from the inception to the present time, was born at Willington, Conn., on October 26, 1824, and spent there the first seven years of his life. The family is an old one, tracing the line back to Robert Corbin of Normandy. An ancestor, Geofrey Corbin, 1194, is mentioned in English history as is his descendant, Walter Corbin, 1272. In the American branch, the line traces back to the Clement Corbin or Corbyn of Roxbury, Mass.; to his son John Corbin, who rendered valuable service in King Philip’s war in 1675; to his son James, born in Roxbury in 1667, and one of the proprietors and original settlers of Woodstock in 1686; to his son Lemuel, born at Woodstock and afterwards a resident of Dudley, where he was tithing man in 1739, and constable in 1746; to his son Philip, a man of power and prominent citizen of Dudley, being made successively constable, captain, selectman, and representative; to his son Philip, Junior, born at Union and afterward a resident of Willington, where his son Philip, the third of the name in direct succession and the found of the Corbin industries, was born. He was the third of ten children, eight of whom were boys.

It is worthy of note that from the earliest known records of the family it has contained men of character, setting their impress upon the time in which they lived and leaving records of public and private service in the archives of church and state. Forceful, energetic, masterful, many of them of more than ordinary physical and mental ability, they transmitted their family characteristics to their descendants as the histories of their lives testified. Philip Corbin was thus born with a measure of physical strength and endurance which have ably aided him in his work. The fact that he was forced by the stress of circumstances to learn to employ his powers and sense of responsibility to their full capacity when young gives a still further explanation of his successful career. Continue reading →

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History of the House of P. & F. Corbin: Title, Preface, and Prologue

Posted on October 24, 2026 by Tyler J. Thomas


Note: The following is a republished excerpt from P. & F. Corbin’s History of the House of P. & F. Corbin. Published in 1904, it recounts the companies’ history on it’s 50th anniversary. We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1904, albeit in a different medium.

History of the House of P. & F. Corbin

Illustrated: Including portraits of men notably identified with the growth of the house.

Issued in commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the house on the fourteenth day of February in the year eighteen hundred and fifty-four.

Author’s Preface

The visible exponents of a commercial institution like that of P. & F. Corbin are the men who conduct it, the buildings that afford it a home, and the goods which it produces and which furnish the reason for its existence.

Its history naturally consists in the relation of the events in which these factors appear conjointly and the circumstances which affect them. It is this which the follow pages attempt to set forth.

In writing the story the greatest difficulty has been to obey the injury to keep the background the personality of the men who have made the business. I have done all that I could in this direction, even to the extent of suppressing some occurrences that have had an important bearing upon the prosperity of the company and of minimizing the part in its growth and development taken by one or two of the persons who are still actively engaged in its affairs.

Yet, I trust that those who read can find between the lines that which I have not been permitted to write, and will be able to clothe the plain recital of facts and description of goods with somewhat of the living forces and personalities that have made the narrative possible.

-J. B. Comstock Continue reading →

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Hardware History Files: The Vault That Protected America’s Constitution | Mosler and the Charters of Freedom

Posted on September 25, 2025 by Tyler J. Thomas

In the United States, few documents possess greater historical and symbolic significance than the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights—collectively known as the Charters of Freedom. Ratified in 1776, 1788, and 1791 respectively, these foundational texts have guided the American democratic experiment for over two centuries. Their enduring legacy demands not only national reverence but also meticulous stewardship to ensure their preservation for future generations. Yet, their journey to a shared, permanent home was far from straightforward.

The formal custodianship of these documents began on July 27, 1789, with the establishment of the United States Department of State—the first executive agency of the federal government. Among its many responsibilities, the State Department was charged with safeguarding the nation’s founding documents. While the Bill of Rights had not yet been ratified at the time, it would soon join the collection under the Department’s care. This arrangement remained largely unchanged for over a century.

In 1920, Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes, acting on recommendations from a committee of scholars, proposed that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution be permanently preserved and potentially exhibited for public viewing. President Warren G. Harding responded swiftly, issuing an executive order transferring custody of both documents from the Department of State to the Library of Congress.

The onset of World War II temporarily disrupted efforts to establish a permanent display. For security reasons, the documents were temporarily relocated, including a brief stay at Fort Knox, Kentucky. However, on September 17, 1951, President Harry S. Truman presided over a ceremonial re-encasement of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution in helium-filled cases. Joined by Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson and members of Congress, Truman emphasized the importance of preservation, declaring that such efforts would continue to “give energy and hope to new generations in the United States and abroad.” He further expressed his desire that the Bill of Rights be encased alongside the Constitution, calling the first ten amendments “the most important part of the Constitution.” Continue reading →

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Hardware History Files: What Happened to Lockwood?

Posted on July 31, 2025 by Tyler J. Thomas

If you were in the door hardware industry in 1952, you knew the name Lockwood. It stood for prestige, quality, and American industrial might. The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company operated five regional sales offices and six manufacturing plants across the United States. It had furnished buildings all over the world: apartments, hotels, hospitals, colleges, embassies, and federal facilities.

Its products were used in high-security government sites, including post offices, military installations, and even the U.S. Embassy in Havana. And perhaps most impressively, Lockwood hardware was installed in two of the most high-profile projects of the mid-century: the Atomic Energy Plant in Paducah, Kentucky—at the time, the largest contract ever awarded by the U.S. government—and the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

At the company’s 1952 sales convention, there was a sense of unstoppable momentum. Lockwood had survived the Great Depression, pivoted to war production during WWII, and emerged in the postwar boom stronger than ever. Yet today, more than seventy years later, the Lockwood name is a ghost in the American hardware industry. So, what happened?

Continue reading →

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Eight, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1950 to 1952

Posted on July 6, 2025 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Eight, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1950 to 1952

AS THE YEARS roll by, Lockwood continues to witness the truth of the old adage, “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.” It’s contract sales distribution system, extremely weak in 1940, has blossomed out into a great Lockwood tree from the little acorn planted in 1941. Lockwood’s strategically selected contract accounts are really hitting the ball for Lockwood all across the country. The brand name Lockwood, has constantly increased in acceptance and demand. There is much to take real pride in. The most widely publicized of outstanding buildings equipped with the Lockwood hardware in this period has been, of course, the United Nations group of buildings New York City. It was the highest possible endorsement that the hardware used was Lockwood throughout this most important group of buildings in the world. it was particularly gratifying to receive the commission to equip State Center at Los Angeles, Statler’s most ambitious and costly group of buildings. The greatest lift, from a company standpoint, was that the fine Lockwood hardware used on nine previous Lockwood installations for Statler proved so satisfactory that Lockwood was again selected against the most severe competition.

Continue reading →

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Seven, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1946 to 1949

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Seven, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1946 to 1949

IN 1946, with the end of the war, Lockwood activities gradually returned to peace-time production. The huge back log of projected building made it obvious the building industry was entering a period of lush business. With this in mind, Lockwood began to strengthen its fence.

Pin Tumbler Assembly.

Pin Tumbler Assembly.

First it produced an up-to-date catalog presenting a new approach to the listing of builders’ finishing hardware. Next it embarked on a program of advertising in trade and architectural magazines with which hundreds of thousands of readers are now quite familiar. Realizing that because of the pent up demand for new schools and hospitals, as well as for other types of buildings, there would be many places where architects could not secure the advice and assistance of a hardware consultant, Lockwood created another “first” when it published a condensed issue in Sweet’s Architectural File in 1946. This practice has since been repeated in each annual edition of Sweet’s and has been extremely effective in familiarizing architects with the Lockwood line.  Continue reading →

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Six, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1941 to 1945

Posted on June 9, 2025 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

Chapter Six, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1941 to 1945

THIS PERIOD was featured by major changes in sales policy and sales personnel. One weakness in selling policy up to that time had been direct bidding on contract work, which was uneconomical and unsound.

After a long and thoughtful consideration and despite the likelihood of losing business because of inadequate distribution, the company faced the issue and established a definite sales policy of selling its products (except in New York City where, up to the time of printing, it has not yet been fully possible) strictly through franchised distributors. This step is recorded as courageous at that particular time because of the lack of distributors to pick up the business dropped. Business, while better than in the years described in Chapter Five, was certainly not that much better that the move could be well afforded. Continue reading →

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Five, The Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1932 to 1940

Posted on June 17, 2024 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

1932. Present Plant No. 1 in Fitchburg, Mass. Acquired at the time Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company was moved from South Norwalk, Conn.

1932. Present Plant No. 1 in Fitchburg, Mass. Acquired at the time Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company was moved from South Norwalk, Conn.

Chapter Five, Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company 1932 to 1940

THIS development period, from the time the plant was moved from South Norwalk, Conn., was a critical one in determining the future progress of Lockwood. The next few years were a period of transition. One of the first requisites was a new catalog which was published in 1932. It was soon realized by the new management, however, that if Lockwood was to be a real factor in the industry, a complete overhauling was necessary. A program was started which has continued to this very day and projects itself far into the future. Continue reading →

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Lockwood Marches On: Chapter Four, The Independent Lock Co.

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Tyler J. Thomas

Note: The following is a republished excerpt from the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company’s Lockwood – The story of its past, the basis for its future. Published in 1953, and based almost entirely off of literature produced for Lockwood’s 1952 sales convention, it recounts the history of the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company from 1834 until 1952.

By 1953, the Lockwood Hardware Manufacturing Company, then a division of the Independent Lock Company with both being headquartered in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fielded branch offices in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago, and Selma, Alabama along with five manufacturing plants in Fitchburg and one in Selma.

We have made no changes to this excerpt and what you see is exactly how it was printed in 1953, albeit in a different medium.

1917. Morris Falk and employees in first Independent Lock Company factory at Leominster, Mass. (Morris Falk, top center)

1917. Morris Falk and employees in first Independent Lock Company factory at Leominster, Mass. (Morris Falk, top center)

Chapter Four, The Independent Lock Co.

THE STORY of the Independent Lock Company is, fire and foremost, the story of a man, Morris Falk, to whom this booklet has been dedicated and whose personal story has been briefly described on page 3. Secondly, it is a story of other men he gathered around him who helped him in carrying out the policies he laid down; courtesy, consideration and fair play. Morris Falk’s word has always been better than a bond.

As previously mentioned, the Independent Lock Company was started because women bobbed their hair. In a small building Independent Lock Company began the manufacture of key blanks. That was its first product and it is an indisputable fact that today the Independent Lock Company makes more key blanks than any other company in the world. Continue reading →

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