J. L. Mott Iron Works

J. L. Mott Iron Works

Company type	Private
Industry	Manufacturing, hardware
Founded	1828 (1828)
Founder	Jordan L. Mott
Defunct	1920s
Headquarters	New York City (original), later Trenton , United States
Products	Cast iron stoves, hot-air furnaces, parlor grates, fire irons, cauldrons, statues, candelabra, fountains, garden benches, vases, iron piping, water tanks, plumbing and bathroom fixtures (including enameled cast iron bathtubs), hospital equipment, marine supplies, tiles, decorative heating elements

The J. L. Mott Iron Works was a prominent American manufacturer and distributor of hardware during the late 1800s. Originating in New York City before relocating to Trenton, New Jersey, the firm discontinued its activities in the 1920s.

History

Founded in 1828 by Jordan L. Mott in the area now known as Mott Haven, New York, the enterprise began with Mott’s creation of the earliest cast iron stoves designed to burn anthracite coal. Over time, the company broadened its offerings to encompass stoves, hot-air furnaces, parlor grates, fire irons, cauldrons, statues, candelabra, fountains, garden benches, vases, iron piping, and water tanks. Despite an invitation from President Buchanan to serve as Commissioner of Patents, Mott chose to dedicate himself fully to advancing manufacturing and innovation.

J.L. Mott Jr. carried on the business, with their New York location spanning eleven floors at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Seventeenth Street. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures—including enameled cast iron bathtubs, a hallmark product—were displayed from the basement up to the second floor. The upper levels contained departments focused on hospital equipment, marine supplies, tiles, decorative heating elements, and furnace production.

At the 1876 Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia, J. L. Mott Iron Works presented a 25-foot-tall cast iron fountain featuring architectural motifs and sculpted figures crafted by company artisans. The fountain’s lowest basin measured ten feet across and was reputed to be the largest cast-iron basin in the United States at that time. Additionally, the company manufactured versions of the fountain statue The Boy with the Leaking Boot, which can be found in multiple cities across North America.

By approximately 1902, the company had shifted its operations to Trenton, New Jersey. In 1917, it is believed that artist Marcel Duchamp selected a urinal from J.L. Mott’s Manhattan showroom as his readymade piece titled Fountain, representing a significant convergence of industrial craftsmanship and avant-garde art.

A distinct company named Mott Iron Works was founded in Massachusetts in 1984; this entity has no connection to the original firm.

See also

• Monumental Bronze Company
• J. W. Fiske & Company
• Scanlan Fountain

Further reading

• – company history and images of bathroom fittings

External links

• – 753 images from company catalogues
• – Obituary of founder’s son
• – includes images of J. L. Mott ironwork
• Modern Plumbing - J. L. Mott Iron Works (1921) Kenneth Franzheim II Rare Books Room, William R. Jenkins Architecture and Art Library, University of Houston Digital Library.