[1] In 1887, William Hale Beckford in Leading business men of New Haven county described the company, "The valuable plant of the company is one of the most complete and extensive of its kind in the United States, the buildings being substantially built of brick, two and three stories in height, and covering an area of several acres of ground.
[5] Wallace Silversmiths, a major American manufacturer of sterling silver is owned by Lifetime Brands.
At the age of 16, Robert Wallace became an apprentice to Captain William Mix, a renowned spoon maker for the Meriden Britannia Company A Meriden Britannia apprenticeship was highly sought after because the firm was the most successful cutlery and hollowware-producing firm in the Northeast.
Having mastered the art of silver craft, Robert Wallace left his apprenticeship, purchased a dilapidated gristmill, and began to produce his own cutlery.
One day, while shopping in New York City, Wallace happened upon a piece of cutlery made of a nickel alloy called German silver that had been produced by Dixon and Sons of Sheffield, England.
Impressed by the quality and strength of the piece, Wallace bought the formula from the German chemist Dr. Louis Feuchtwanger who had a small bar of that metal from Germany for the then unheard sum of $20 and went on to build these new nickel silver spoons.
Wallace realized the importance of diversifying his business and began producing a complete range of flatware using the nickel alloy formula.
[citation needed] For the next five decades, Wallace did contract work, producing cutlery for a number of firms throughout the world.
Wallace would sign a contract with a flatware manufacturer and produce a given piece for a set number of years.
The industry continued to grow and eventually assumed large proportions during this period, Wallace produced cutlery for such firms as Hall, Elton & Co., Fred R. Curtiss Co., and Meriden Britannia Co.
The factory added to its products sterling goods and high-grade nickel-silver-plated ware, both flat and hollow.
[citation needed] Robert Wallace died on June 1, 1892, and the sons and son-in-law continued the business.
As a result of this growth, the Hamilton Watch Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, acquired Wallace Silversmiths in 1959.
On April 1, 1987, Wallace Silversmiths' corporate headquarters was moved from Connecticut to East Boston, MA.