Originally, Caswell Massey started as an apothecary shop in Newport, Rhode Island, by a Scottish-born doctor named William Hunter.

Hunter gave the first lectures on anatomy and surgery in the Colonies in 1755 and invented orange soda to help his customers take the medicines sold in his apothecary shop.

He also imported fragrances from Europe, and blended 20 of his own different colognes, numbered One through Twenty; Dr. Hunter's Cologne Number Six was often purchased by George Washington and was given as a gift by Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette, and thereby became very popular among many politicians and intellectuals in early American society after Independence.

For approximately the first three-quarters of a century, the apothecary shop traditionally changed owners, each retiring pharmacist handing over the keys to his apprentice.

Phillip Caswell resigned from the partnership in 1872 and sold his shares to Rowland Hazard; John Caswell set up shops and continued the business in parallel to the Hazard business during this time, and a lawsuit was undertaken in 1876 over the rights to be the successor of both the 'Caswell' name and the 'Established 1780 AD' trademark, as well as the books of formulations.

The company took its present name, Caswell-Massey, when then-owner John Rose Caswell partnered with New York businessman William Massey in 1876.

John R. Caswell and William Massey continued to operate in New York City and Newport, RI, until 1906, when the business was incorporated as the Caswell-Massey Company under the guidance of George C. Lyon and John C. Knight of the Hall & Lyon Company of Providence, Rhode Island; the business continued to grow to ten stores but was reduced to two stores by 1915.

During the early to mid-1900s, the apothecary business expanded its service to provide 'custom' perfumes and fragrances as private stock for its most notable customers.

Customers to the Caswell-Massey stores during this time included many notable New Yorkers, as well as Broadway stars such as Alla Nazimova, and New York elite such as the Astors and Vanderbilts;[2] George Gershwin, Judy Garland, Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo.

Unlike the previous owners, the Taylors retained the name Caswell-Massey, which had acquired a worldwide reputation during the 60 years under Caswell as one of the world's most important fragrances and soap brands.

The company's cold cream was a popular product for many Broadway actors, along with composer Cole Porter who wore the new Tricorn cologne.

[4] During the second half of the century, clients included United States President John F. Kennedy, who wore Caswell Massey's Jockey Club cologne; his wife, Jacqueline Onassis (who bought avocado oil), and pop culture figures who shopped from the company's famously hand-illustrated direct mail catalog and who frequented the company's Lexington Avenue Store.

Patrons at the Lexington & 48th street store included Debbie Harry, Joni Mitchell, John Denver, and the Rolling Stones.