Our Story

America’s Oldest Stove Manufacturer • 1838–2025

Allen Comstock
Allen Comstock

In 1838 Allen Comstock opened a stove & hardware shop in Quincy, IL—laying the groundwork for America’s oldest stove company.

Timothy H. Castle
Timothy H. Castle

Partnering soon after, Castle transformed the business into a grey-iron foundry—meeting the frontier’s need for durable cooking & heating stoves.

Company History

Frontier Hardware Stores
1830s
Frontier Hardware Stores

Early in the nineteenth century, Illinois sat on the nation’s western fringe. Settlers heading to west-central Illinois traveled light and purchased heavy essentials—like cast-iron cookware and heating stoves—after they arrived.

Quincy’s deep natural harbor on the Mississippi made it a supply hub. Hardware stores were among the first businesses to open, selling riverboat-shipped goods from New York and St. Louis and laying the groundwork for a regional stove industry.

Phoenix Stove Works
1846
From Retailer to Foundry

Moving beyond retail, A. Comstock & Company launched a grey-iron foundry in Quincy to build its own products. The operation became known as the Phoenix Stove Works, producing stoves and hollow-ware close to where customers needed them.

The foundry ignited a manufacturing cluster: Quincy soon hosted numerous stove works—many founded by former Comstock-Castle employees—as the city emerged as a Midwestern center for stove production.

Comstock-Castle Incorporation
1884–1900s
A Family Business & Quincy Hub

The firm incorporated in 1884 (later re-incorporating as a perpetual corporation). During the Civil War era, the company name became Comstock-Castle Stove Company, with the Castle family assuming leadership.

By the early 1900s Quincy made more stoves than anywhere else in the U.S., and Comstock-Castle proudly billed itself the “World’s Largest Sellers”—a claim rooted in decades of continuous, locally built production.

Modern Production
Today
Present Day

We build commercial (restaurant) cooking equipment in Quincy and export worldwide. Our products are union-built, NSF, ETL, UL, ANSI, and CSA certified, and supported by a national dealer and service network.

The team exhibits at major trade shows and partners with international agents—while expanding R&D and warehouse capabilities—to keep quality, reliability, and service at the center of everything we do.

Seven Generations. One Standard: Built to Last.

Since 1838, we’ve engineered reliable, serviceable cooking equipment for restaurants, mobile kitchens, and institutions—still designed and built in Quincy, Illinois.

Built in Quincy Since 1838

From Foundry Roots to Modern Craft

What began as a small frontier foundry is now a modern manufacturing facility—still in Quincy, Illinois—where each range, oven, and griddle is built with the same pride and precision that has defined us for generations.

  • Heavy-Duty Construction: Premium stainless steel, reinforced frames, and cast-iron components built for decades of service.
  • Service-Friendly Design: Open access, common parts, and straightforward controls make maintenance fast and cost-effective.
  • Built for Performance: Fast heat recovery, even heat distribution, and rugged reliability in any kitchen environment.
Modular Cooking Line in Action
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Precision

Hand-fit assemblies, heavy-gauge steel, and cast-iron components deliver consistent heat distribution and tight tolerances—shift after shift.

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Performance

Fast recovery, even sear, high-output burners, and field-proven controls trusted by busy kitchens nationwide.

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Legacy

Family-managed since the 1850s and still built in Quincy, IL—backed by a national dealer and service network.

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Safety & Certification

NSF, ETL, UL, ANSI, and CSA certified equipment with parts availability and documentation to keep you compliant and cooking.

Restaurants

Restaurants & Chains

From neighborhood diners to national brands, our ranges, griddles, and ovens are built to handle real-world line pressure and pace.

Institutional Kitchens

Institutional Kitchens

Proven in schools, corrections, healthcare, and other high-volume facilities where reliability and durability are essential.

Dealer & Service Network

Dealer & Service Network

Backed by a nationwide network of dealers and authorized service providers to keep you cooking without interruption.

A Company of Craftsmen

We weld, assemble, and inspect each unit by hand in our Quincy, IL facility. Our teams blend modern fabrication with time-tested techniques to produce equipment that’s easy to install, easy to service, and made to last.

Craftsmen at Work

We’re Here to Help

Use our Dealer and Service Locator to find sales, parts, or support near you — or reach us directly with project specs.

Modern Castle equipment in production

Looking Ahead — Growth, Innovation & Service

We’re expanding capacity in Quincy, modernizing R&D for energy-efficient burner systems, and broadening parts availability. Our goal? Build equipment that earns its place on your line every day—and back it with responsive service.

Questions? Get Answers