1893-1922 American Brass Co. Gas Cock

This ornate patterned brass shut off valve or “gas cock” was made to attach to the black iron pipe gas systems in homes of major cities and metropolitan areas during the late 1800s into early 1900s.
Manufactured in Waterbury, Connecticut by the American Brass Co. during a time when the state of Connecticut dominated the brass milling industry, particularly in Waterbury.
In the 19th Century, Waterbury was actually known as “Brass City”.
The American Brass Company was formed on June 7, 1893, as a holding company for six brass manufacturing companies: Plume & Atwood Manufacturing Company; Benedict & Burnham Manufacturing Company; Waterbury Brass Company; Scovill Manufacturing Company; Holmes, Booth and Haydens; and Coe Brass Manufacturing Company. Disagreements over which companies would manufacture which goods delayed formal incorporation until March 1, 1899. All the firms except for the Waterbury Brass Company and the Coe Brass Manufacturing Company withdrew from the new corporation. But the Ansonia Brass and Battery Company joined the new firm in their place. American Brass officially began operation on December 14, 1899. There were about 10,000 brass workers in the United States in 1900, and half of them worked for American Brass Co. Benedict & Burnham and Holmes, Booth and Haydens were two more brass foundries that became part of American Brass in 1901. By 1909, American Brass Co. manufactured two-thirds of all the brass in the United States.
ABC milled and made brass sheets, rolled and wire brass; brass tubing; brass fixtures and fittings; brass items such as clocks, gun and shell casings, electrical busses; and of course…brass gas cocks.
Gas cocks would be mandatory for homeowners to attach gas appliances by hose to the gas mains in the floor or on the wall. Stoves, radiators, lamps and heaters were powered by town gas (artificial gas) or natural gas and the brass valves served as an adapter and controlled the flow of gas pounds per square inch (PSI) by turning a finial knob.
American Brass Company sold out to the Anaconda Copper Mining Company (of Montana) in 1922. The merger was one of the largest deals in American business up to that time.
During the early 1900s, brass fittings were uncoated and would later be the cause of many major safety hazards. Uncoated brass (like this item) could become brittle over time and fail. By the 1950s, uncoated brass fittings began being replaced by treated brass and plastic components. In 1996 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) investigated over 200 complaints of untreated brass gas connectors still in use. The uncoated brass valves and fittings were resulting in fires, gas inhalation and explosions from gas leaks. After the brass and their leaks were to blame for 35 deaths and 59 injuries, the CPSC strongly urged all parties to inspect and replace “turn of the century” gas brass fittings that were still in use. Most building codes were upgraded to mandatory replacement. Hundreds of thousands of brass gas cocks we’re systematically removed and replaced with modern technology or treated brass for the antique aesthetic of the Art Nouveau period. Since 1996 most all antique brass fittings have been replaced making gas cocks like this one a memory.
MemoryLaneVintiques picked this item in Fort Worth, Texas
Weighs 5.3 ounces
Measures 2.25” X 3”
For antique collecting and not for use!

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