Since 1990, the two firms had collaborated in both the research and the manufacture of the designs, materials, and methods of production pioneered by E. Robinson & Co., Wm. Hall & Co., L.S. Hall & Co., and the John Tein Co. Firmly established in Boston since the 1890s, the W.C. Vaughan Co. manufactured the finest architectural and builders’ hardware with absolute historical accuracy. Recognized for its expertise, the W.C. Vaughan Co. supplied hardware for the restorations of Colonial Williamsburg, Strawbery Banke, and the Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, among other projects.

The showroom, designed by Gil Schafer, represents the collaborative efforts of these firms, with a strong emphasis on the historical aspirations and integrity they represent. The design legacy this merger represents is unparalleled in the industry, and is, taken together, the oldest contiguous lineage of hardware design and manufacturing in the United States of America.

In addition to the historical collections of original American hardware designs, the Boston showroom represents our collaborations with other like-minded designers Ted Muehling and Gabriella Kiss, and manufacturers Maison J. Vervloet-Faes (Bruxelles), J. L. Lobmeyr (Wien), and the Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg  (München).

“Long the trade secret of architects and decorators, hardware purveyor extraordinaire E. R. Butler & Co. opened its first retail store last December on Charles Street. The shop is an inspired concept, mixing the elegant contemporary porcelain of Ted Muehling and jewelry of Gabriella Kiss with artful antique, reproduction, and new hardware displayed like jewels for the home. A standout: reproductions of Enoch Robinson’s classic 19th-century mercury-glass doorknobs. Showcased in drawer after drawer, each hinge, pull, and lock perfectly illustrates how God is in the details.”