The business now conducted by the Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co. was founded in 1833 by David Brown and his son, Joseph R. Brown. David Brown retired in 1841, and the business was continued by Joseph R. Brown until 1853, when Lucian Sharpe became his partner, and the firm of J. R. Brown & Sharpe was formed. The Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co. was incorporated in 1868.
The works are situated one-half mile from the business centre of Providence, and are within a few minutes' walk northwest from the rail-road station.
The buildings are modern, and especially arranged to meet the requirements of the business. The seven main manufacturing buildings have a floor space of about 740,000 square feet; the foundry building about 245,000 square feet; the forging, hardening, central power plant and miscellaneous buildings about 215,000 square feet. In 1853 the floor space occupied was 1800 square feet; the present buildings have about 1,200,000 square feet of floor space, or over 27 acres.
We are always glad to show visitors through the works.
