Scovill Manufacturing Company

The Scovill Manufacturing Company, a joint stock company, was formed in 1850, merging three different Scovill businesses owned by brothers James Mitchell Lamson Scovill and William Henry Scovill. Lamson Scovill had entered into the button making business in 1811, when he and Frederick Leavenworth and David Hayden had purchased the operations of Abel Porter & Company which traced its origins to 1802. Lamson’s brother William bought out Leavenworth and Hayden in 1827 to form J.M.L. & W.H. Scovill. By 1850, Scovill was manufacturing camera and lighting components in addition to buttons, coins and tokens. By the end of the 19th century, their product line included virtually everything made of metal—safety razors, poker chips, billiard balls, munitions, curtain trimmings and buttons. Scovill continued to expand into the 20th century, developing cosmetic cases, snap fasteners and zippers, purchasing companies including Hamilton Beach and NuTone. During the second half of the 20th century, Scovill slowly began pulling out of Waterbury, relying more on plants in other locations. Their last factory in Waterbury was sold in 1976 to Century Brass, and their corporate headquarters was relocated to Georgia in 1998.