Where was the M.W. Robinson Company Located

[epidoc]

I just acquired a nickel plated Ladysmith, serial number 10,793 with a factory letter. The letter states the pistol was "delivered to M. W. Robinson Co., Smith & Wesson's oldest distributor." I googled the name, but got so many hits I could tell whether they are still in business.

Does anyone have any information on the company and its location?

 

[handejector]

I recall them being in NYC.
Double check me on that.

 

[deadin]

M.W.Robinson, General Agent, 79 Chambers St. New York, NY.
At least that's where they were circa 1881. They are long defunct. I don't even think they made it to 1900.

 

[twaits]

You can find a current street view of it on Google maps. If you type in 79 Chambers street you get some place on Reade street for some reason, but if you navigate around you can find it. It's only a small two story building today. I don't know if this is the same building as it was when M.W.Robinson was in it.

Google Maps

 

[delta-419]

Intresting! I have a S&W Frontier 44-40 dated 1886 that was shipped to them. Found it in Alaska of all places.

 

[pace40]

Storrs was around before MW Robinson.

 

[mrcvs]

M.W.Robinson, General Agent, 79 Chambers St. New York, NY.
At least that's where they were circa 1881. They are long defunct. I don't even think they made it to 1900.

I know they were there at least until late January of 1895, as a revolver I had recently lettered was shipped there 28 January 1895.

 

[mrcvs]

M W Robinson actually existed at least until late 1902. I received a factory letter yesterday that states my Hand Ejector First Model, 22 Ladysmith (Model M), was shipped to M W Robonson on 18 December 1902. Anyone out there have one that was shipped to Robinson's later than December of 1902?

 

[DCWilson]

S&W was still shipping to them in 1913. Triple Locks.

In 1914 M.W. Robinson ordered nearly 500 Bekearts from S&W. They were apparently all delivered, but it took a few months to complete the order.

 

[JustinL]

Marcus Webb Robinson (1820-1892) obituary is here

Proceedings - New England Society in the City of Brooklyn - Google Books

A review of old NY Times articles (far from complete) reveals the following about the address '79 Chambers St'

As of June 1921 - home to Triangle Elto Trading Company
1925 - home to the Pioneer Cheese Company (went bankrupt)
August 1930 - Fire on the 4th floor - home to the Reich, Ash & Company which manufactured 'toilette articles'

It is possible that his hardware store co-existed with one of these businesses. I do not know.

 

[HeyJoe]

You can find a current street view of it on Google maps. If you type in 79 Chambers street you get some place on Reade street for some reason, but if you navigate around you can find it. It's only a small two story building today. I don't know if this is the same building as it was when M.W.Robinson was in it.

Google Maps

the 79 chambers st shown on google would not be the building that was there in the 1880's. that building would have looked like the one to its left or to your right looking at the picture.

 

[sercher]

m.w.Robinson

I'm looking to see if any one knows the name of the company that must have bought out M.W. Robinson

 

[deadin]

Given your name (sercher) it appears that yet another valiant quest for the M.W. Robinson records is underway. We all wish you Good Luck!! They would answer a lot of questions.

However I still think that Ed (opoefc) has them stashed away somewhere..
(Inside joke...)

 

[Peak53]

it appears that yet another valiant quest for the M.W. Robinson records is underway. We all wish you Good Luck!! They would answer a lot of questions.

Yep! I tried to go down this path, too, with a Model 3 Russian that I inherited through my Texas lineage. Would love to know how this revolver shipped in 1875 made it from NYC to a sheriff on the high plains. I wonder if MW Robinson operated a mail order catalog business?

 

[sercher]

serching for m.w.robinson info.

you would think that S&W could tell us that if they shipped guns to m.w.robinson on, say FEb. of 1918, who in the heck they shipped them to in New York after that date,if not M.W. Robinson ?

 

[chief wigam]

ive got a Mod 3 Russian with sheriff connections too!

Yep! I tried to go down this path, too, with a Model 3 Russian that I inherited through my Texas lineage. Would love to know how this revolver shipped in 1875 made it from NYC to a sheriff on the high plains. I wonder if MW Robinson operated a mail order catalog business?

Saw your post. Im also researching a model 3 Russian that was sold to MW Robinson in 1876 and presented to Sheriff William Miles Hawley,1876,Carbon County Wy from Foote and Hawley Freightline (of which he was co owner). Ive researched a fair bit on Hawley but just started on this link-Im guessing from what ive initially read that Robinsons are bit of a dead end?

 

[TripleLock]

The M. W. Robinson Company was still operating in Brooklyn as late as 1922. It seems that at by 1918 The M. W. Robinson Company was located at Bush Terminal Building No.1.

 

[tep]

The factory letter on my .38 Single Action Second Model says they were located on Market Street in NYC in November of 1879. No street number listed.

 

[JSR III]

As David stated, M.W. Robinson received 490 .22/32 HFT's in five shipments during January, February and March of 1914. They were S&W's largest single distributor of the day so you will find guns shipped to them all over the world. Yes, they were also a large distributor to Europe as well.

Being S&W's largest distributor for many years, their records would probably be a treasure trove of information to any S&W nut, unfortunately there doesn't seem to be any current source for these records. They probably are in some landfill in NYC or NJ.

Using my database of the .22/32 HFT's, I can tell you that from the 1920's to the 1940's, S&W shipped to Stoeger Arms, H.A. Astlett Co., Schoverling, Daly and Gales, Abercrombie and Fitch, H&D Folsom and Sloans Sporting Goods, all in NYC.

Obviously, this was a different time in our country and especially in NYC. Imagine having all of those gun companies there today!!!!!!!