By Mark Pierce, Esq.
- The Oldest Business in Every U.S. State
The Oldest Business in Every U.S. State
While the Declaration of Independence was issued in 1776 (officially making the United States an independent nation), many businesses in the country predate that. There are a multitude of farms, hotels, and restaurants opened by settlers that are still in operation today.
What is the oldest company in America? The research team at Wyoming LLC Attorney (Cloud Peak Law Group) investigated businesses around the country that are still operating to find the oldest business in each state. The oldest American company may surprise you!
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What Are the States With the Oldest Businesses?
The oldest company in the U.S. that is still running is Shirley Plantation in Charles City, VA. The lands of the plantation were first settled in 1613 by Sir Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr. To this day, it is the oldest family-owned business in the United States as well as the oldest active plantation in Virginia.
The next oldest business in the country is Tuttle’s Red Barn in Dover, NH. It has consistently been in operation since 1632. It was run by the Tuttle family for 11 generations until it was sold in October 2013. The compound consists of a 12-room colonial residence, storage barns, greenhouses, and a retail space.
Third on the list is Field View Farm in Orange, CT. The farm was established in 1639, making it one of the oldest companies in the U.S. It has been continuously owned and operated by the Hine family for 12 generations. The next oldest American company is Barker’s Farm Stand, which is located in North Andover, MA. Ten generations of the Barker family have operated this farm since its creation in 1642. The farm offers a variety of fruits, vegetables, and plants and is known for its pick-your-own apple orchard.
Fifth on the list is the Seaside Inn in Kennebunk, ME. This historic hotel, which was established in 1667, is located on Kennebunk Beach. It’s the oldest family-run inn in the United States and has been run by the same family for nine generations.
Coming in at number six is Saunderskill Farm in Accord, NY. This working farm has been continuously farmed by the Schoonmaker family since 1680 and is one of the few farms in America that have earned the Tricentennial Award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Seventh on the list is Kenyon’s Grist Mill in Rhode Island. This unique mill still uses its stone grinder from the 1880s to create flour and meal. The mill has also been featured in television shows hosted by Martha Stewart and Andrew Zimmern.
The state that ranks eighth is New Jersey. The Barnsboro Inn, located in Sewell, originally started as the residence of owner John Barnes. He petitioned the Gloucester County Court to license his home as a tavern, and it has held that license ever since.
What was the first company in Pennsylvania? That would be the Rowland Company, which comes in ninth on the list. Established in 1732, it originally began manufacturing shovels. Today, the company manufactures industrial power transmission products.
The state that comes in tenth is Maryland. The Middletown Tavern, located in Annapolis, has been in business since 1750. Its location made it a popular spot for members of the Continental Congress, particularly after the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.
Wyoming’s oldest business is Miners and Stockmen’s Steakhouse. Established in 1862, it comes in 42nd on the list of states with the oldest businesses. If you’d like to own the newest Wyoming business, we can help you form an LLC to do just that.
The Oldest Business by State
| State | Year | Name | City | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 1836 | Bromberg’s | Mobile | Jewelry Store | This jewelry store was opened by Prussian immigrant Frederick Bromberg just 18 years after Alabama achieved statehood. |
| Alaska | 1867 | Alaska Commercial Company | statewide | General Store | This company can trace its roots back to Catherine the Great of Russia, who gave trading rights to the company's predecessor in 1776. |
| Arizona | 1877 | The Palace Restaurant and Saloon | Prescott | Restaurant/Bar | This saloon was allegedly a favorite of Wyatt and Virgil Earp as well as their friend Doc Holliday. |
| Arkansas | 1820 | Rose Law Firm | Little Rock | Law Firm | Rose Law was founded 16 years before Arkansas became a state and remains the third-oldest law firm in the U.S. |
| California | 1849 | Ducommun | Santa Ana | Manufacturing | This company, which originally started out as a general store, became a metal distributor during the first two world wars and now provides materials to NASA. |
| Colorado | 1857 | R&R Market | San Luis | General Store | Founded 19 years before Colorado became a state, this historic market is a popular spot for tourists to take photos. |
| Connecticut | 1639 | Field View Farm | Orange | Farm | This farm is the fourth-oldest business in the U.S. and has been owned and operated by the Hine family for 12 generations. |
| Delaware | 1802 | DuPont | Wilmington | Manufacturing | DuPont originally was a gunpowder mill and is now one of the world's largest chemical manufacturers. |
| Florida | 1851 | Pensacola Hardware Co. | Pensacola | Hardware Store | This hardware store has survived a fire and location changes but continues to thrive due to its customer service and resilience. |
| Georgia | 1753 | The Pirates' House | Savannah | Restaurant/Bar | It's a common belief that The Pirates' House is featured in Robert Louis Stevenson's famous adventure novel "Treasure Island." |
| Hawaii | 1849 | Amfac Inc. | Honolulu | General Store | Amfac first started as a dry goods store and sugar business. Now, it's a coffee farm and land development company known as Kaanapali Land LLC. |
| Idaho | 1865 | Joyce Livestock Co. | Murphy | Farm | The Joyce-Nettleton family has owned this 11,000-acre cattle ranch for five generations. |
| Illinois | 1837 | C.D. Peacock | Chicago | Jewelry Store | This jewelry store managed to survive the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and has many locations across the city. |
| Indiana | 1836 | Register Publications | Lawrenceburg | Newspaper | Register Publications owns several newspapers, including the Dearborn County Register and the Journal Press. |
| Iowa | 1852 | Breitbach's Country Dining | Balltown | Restaurant/Bar | This restaurant, which opened under a federal permit issued by President Millard Fillmore, was destroyed in and rebuilt after two back-to-back fires. |
| Kansas | 1855 | Davis Funeral Chapel | Leavenworth | Funeral Home | This funeral home has hosted some of the most notorious criminals in the area, including mobsters Bugs Moran of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Other notables include murderers Richard Hickok and Perry Smith of “In Cold Blood” fame. |
| Kentucky | 1795 | Jim Beam Distillery | Clermont | Distillery | Jim Beam is one of the most popular bourbon companies in the world and has been in operation since George Washington was president. |
| Louisiana | 1772 | Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop | New Orleans | Restaurant/Bar | The building, which dates back to New Orleans's Spanish Colonial period, is rumored to have been used by Jean and Pierre Lafitte for their smuggling operation in the late 1700s. |
| Maine | 1667 | Seaside Inn | Kennebunk | Hotel | The Seaside Inn is one of the oldest businesses in America, and guests have full access to Kennebunk Beach. |
| Maryland | 1750 | Middleton Tavern | Annapolis | Restaurant/Bar | This historic tavern was frequented by members of the Continental Congress on such occasions as Gen. George Washington's commission and the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. |
| Massachusetts | 1642 | Barker’s Farm Stand | North Andover | Farm | Barker's Farm Stand features locally grown produce and is still owned by the Barker family. |
| Michigan | 1828 | George Jerome & Co. | Detroit | Civil Engineering | This civil engineering company was a major player in Detroit's development as a city and is still owned by the family. |
| Minnesota | 1886 | Fred W. Radde & Sons | New Germany | Auctioneer | Since its founding, Fred W. Radde & Sons has specialized in live auctions, but it has since added online, phone, and proxy bidding. |
| Mississippi | 1789 | King’s Tavern | Natchez | Restaurant/Bar | King's Tavern is considered to be the most haunted restaurant in Mississippi. Three skeletons were found behind the establishment's fireplace in the 1930s. |
| Missouri | 1842 | O’Malley’s Pub | Weston | Restaurant/Bar | The pub is now part of the Weston Brewing Co., which still uses the more-than-50-foot-deep beer cellar for its operations. |
| Montana | 1863 | Bale of Hay Saloon | Virginia City | Restaurant/Bar | This business was a grocery and liquor store until it became a saloon in 1890. |
| Nebraska | 1857 | First National Bank | Omaha | Bank | When the Kountze Brothers originally opened the bank, they mainly traded in gold dust and buffalo hides. |
| Nevada | 1853 | Genoa Bar | Genoa | Restaurant/Bar | The location still includes some of the original features, including half of the bar and a red oil lamp that is lit once a year on New Year's Eve. |
| New Hampshire | 1632 | Tuttle’s Red Barn | Dover | Farm | This farm and country store was founded by John Tuttle when he arrived in the U.S. with a land grant from Charles II of England. The original 20-acre farm now has 134 acres. |
| New Jersey | 1720 | Barnsboro Inn | Sewell | Restaurant/Bar | Owner John Barnes, whom the inn is named for, petitioned the Gloucester County Court to license his residence as a tavern and then began taking in guests. |
| New Mexico | 1835 | El Farol | Santa Fe | Restaurant/Bar | Originally known as La Cantina del Cañon, El Farol is a popular destination that hosts dinner shows featuring dancers from the National Institute of Flamenco. |
| New York | 1680 | Saunderskill Farm | Accord | Farm | The 300 acres of this historic location have been continuously farmed since 1680. |
| North Carolina | 1784 | Tavern in Old Salem | Salem | Restaurant/Bar | The Tavern in Old Salem is known for its Moravian chicken pie, as the Salem area was home to many Moravian immigrants in the 1700s. |
| North Dakota | 1873 | The Bismarck Tribune | Bismarck | Newspaper | This newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in 1938 for its series titled "Self-Help in the Dust Bowl." |
| Ohio | 1803 | The Golden Lamb | Lebanon | Restaurant/Bar | Throughout the years, The Golden Lamb has hosted 12 U.S. presidents, including John Quincy Adams. |
| Oklahoma | 1892 | BC Clark Jewelers | Oklahoma City | Jewelry Store | Oklahoma residents know BC Clark for its iconic holiday jingle that's featured in ads for five weeks starting on Thanksgiving evening. The store claims that it may be the longest-running jingle in the country. |
| Oregon | 1849 | Van Dusen Beverages | Astoria | Beverage Bottler | This business first opened as a general store and now bills itself as the world's smallest Pepsi bottler. |
| Pennsylvania | 1732 | The Rowland Company | Philadelphia | Manufacturing | The Rowland Company started out manufacturing shovels and has since become a manufacturer of industrial power transmission products. |
| Rhode Island | 1696 | Kenyon’s Grist Mill | Usquepaugh | Mill | Kenyon’s still uses its 1880s-era stone grinder to turn grain and corn into flour and meal. |
| South Carolina | 1778 | McCrady’s Tavern and Long Room | Charleston | Restaurant/Bar | McCrady's has been a fixture of the Charleston social scene for centuries. It's rumored that George Washington once enjoyed a 30-course meal at the establishment. |
| South Dakota | 1883 | Look's Market | Sioux Falls | Restaurant/Bar | The market was originally a meat counter but now also sells baked goods, cheese, and beer. It also has a restaurant. |
| Tennessee | 1842 | Austin and Bell Funeral Home | Turnersville | Funeral Home | Originally a cabinet shop that also made caskets, it now has multiple locations across the state. |
| Texas | 1843 | Imperial Sugar | Sugar Land | Sugar Producer | The city of Sugar Land, the company's headquarters, takes its name from the oldest business in Texas, which has been producing sugar for more than a century. |
| Utah | 1850 | The Deseret News | Salt Lake City | Newspaper | This newspaper takes the name "deseret" from the word for "honeybee" in the Book of Mormon. |
| Vermont | 1799 | Fort Ticonderoga Ferry | Shoreham | Ferry Boat | This is the oldest ferry operation in the U.S. and has been taking people from Shoreham, Vermont, to Ticonderoga, New York, for more than 200 years. |
| Virginia | 1613 | Shirley Plantation | Charles City | Farm | Shirley Plantation is considered to be the oldest business in the United States and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1970. |
| Washington | 1855 | Laird Norton Co. | Seattle | Wealth Management | This company started as a frontier logging operation and has been a family-operated wealth management company for seven generations. |
| West Virginia | 1778 | The Greenbrier | White Sulphur Springs | Hotel | The Greenbrier is a luxury resort that has hosted 26 U.S. presidents over the years, including Dwight D. Eisenhower. |
| Wisconsin | 1845 | Minhas Craft Brewery | Monroe | Brewery | Minhas is the oldest brewery in the Midwest and the second-oldest in the U.S. The brewery survived the Great Depression, Prohibition, and a fire. |
| Wyoming | 1862 | Miners and Stockmen’s Steakhouse | Hartville | Restaurant/Bar | While Hartville now has fewer than 100 residents, in the 1800s, it was a booming mining town. People would secretly gather together in the building's basement to drink during Prohibition. |