Danforth Pewter

 

Thomas Danforth II opened a pewter workshop in 1755 in colonial Connecticut, and generations of the Danforth family followed him into the pewter trade. Before the 1860s, almost every American household had pewter plates and cups, and the Danforths were one of the leading families in American pewter. After the Civil War, glass and ceramic became affordable to average people, and the American pewter industry collapsed. The last of the colonial-era Danforths stopped working in pewter in 1873.

 

One hundred years later, Thomas Danforth II’s great-great-great-great-great grandson Fred Danforth, and Fred’s wife Judi Danforth, revived the family tradition when they opened Danforth Pewter in Vermont in 1975. 

Today, every piece of Danforth pewter is crafted by hand from 100% lead-free fine pewter in our Middlebury, Vermont workshop. Our line includes everything from miniature pocket charms to one-of-a-kind oil lamps signed by the artist, and our more popular categories are jewelry, holiday ornaments and key rings.