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William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

American, 1833-1905

In its heyday, the Durgin Silver Company was one of the largest sterling silver flatware and hollowware manufacturers in the United States. Responsible for the trailblazing Fairfax pattern — one of the most popular patterns in the U.S. for a time during the early 20th century — Durgin Silver established a reputation for quality and durability.

The company was founded in 1853 in Concord, New Hampshire, by William Butler Durgin. Raised by farmers in Campton, New Hampshire, in 1833, Durgin grew up learning about agriculture from his parents. To their dismay, he decided life as a farmer wasn’t for him, and he shifted his focus to jewelry. 

Durgin left Campton for Boston, where openings in the jewelry trade were scarce at the time. Undaunted, he became an apprentice to a silversmith named Newell Harding. In his second year as an apprentice, however, Durgin fell ill and returned to New Hampshire, settling in Concord. After he recovered, Durgin established his eponymous company.

Over the next 50 years, the Durgin Silver Company earned accolades for its role as one of the finest producers of sterling silverware in America. From its large brick factory in Concord, the firm manufactured exquisite tablewareserving piecestea sets and home decor such as candleholders. Its variety of elegant patterns, including Chatham, Chrysanthemum, English Rose, Louis XV, Victorian, Orange Blossom and the aforementioned Fairfax, were extraordinarily popular.

In 1878, Durgin’s son George Francis, who had learned silversmithing from his father, became a partner and the company enjoyed considerable success around the turn of the 20th century. Among their clients were the Packard Motor Company, the Davis Cup, the National Cash Register Company and the battleship U.S.S. New Hampshire, for which they made a 72-piece silver service and bell.

Durgin died in 1905 of cystitis and pneumonia, and tragically, George died soon afterward. That year, Durgin Silver became a division of another well-known American silver firm, the Gorham Silver Manufacturing Company. Today, Durgin Silver remains highly coveted among collectors of American silver. 

On 1stDibs, find a range of antique William B. Durgin silver.

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Creator: William B. Durgin
10 Antique Assorted Sterling Silver Twisted Scalloped Serving Spoons 184g
By William B. Durgin, William B. Kerr & Co., Towle Silversmiths, Whiting Manufacturing Company, Bruckmann & Söhne
Located in Dayton, OH
Lot of 10 antique sterling and one 800 silver sugar / tea spoons in a variety of styles and designs including shell bowls, twisted handles, floral motifs and one enameled. Makers inc...
Category

Early 20th Century William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Gorham Fairfax Art Deco Sterling Silver Coffee & Tea Set on Tray
By William B. Durgin, Gorham Manufacturing Company
Located in New York, NY
Fairfax sterling silver coffee and tea set on tray. Made by Durham, which was part of Gorham, in Concord, ca 1926. This set comprises 7 pieces: Hot wa...
Category

Early 20th Century American Art Deco William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

William B. Durgin Co. 1900 Edwardian Neo Classic Center Bowl 925 Sterling Silver
By William B. Durgin, Durgin Silver Company
Located in Miami, FL
An impressive center bowl designed by William B. Durgin Co. Magnificent very rare piece, created in the United States by the silversmiths and silverware makers William B. Durgin Co, back in the turn of the 19th century, circa 1900. This fabulous center vase bowl was crafted with Edwardian neoclassical patterns in solid .925/.999 sterling silver with high polished finish. The vase stand in a rounded pedestal foot and suited with a pair of elaborated handles with multiples garlands and tassels. The upper border is adorned with four groups of organic motifs of flowers chiseled in low and high relief and a fine bright cut decoration along the rim. The design of this piece is extremely interesting as it brings together various artistic movements such as the Art Nouveau, the Edwardian, the Neoclassical with a hint of neo-Gothic details and the Greek Revival. Has a total weight of 972 Grams and a measurements of 389 mm by 375 mm by 120 mm (12.16 x 14.75 x 4.75 Inches). Stamped with the maker's mark cartouche with a D associated to William B. Durgin Co, the model number and signed, "D STERLING 930C". NutmegGraters.Com ~ American Sterling Nutmeg Grater By Durgin William B. Durgin Co. (1853 - 1924) was a noted American sterling silver manufacturer based in Concord, New Hampshire, and one of the largest flatware and hollowware manufacturers in the United States. Over the period between the 1905-1924 it was merged into the Gorham Manufacturing Company. The company was founded by the silversmith William Butler Durgin (July 29, 1833 - May 6, 1905). Durgin was born in Campton, New Hampshire, and from 1849-1853 apprenticed to Boston silversmith Newell Harding. In the 1840s Durgin moved back to Concord, where he opened a small shop making spoons opposite the Free Bridge Road. He incorporated as William B. Durgin Company in 1853, in 1854 added the manufacture of silverware, and in 1866 established a large brick factory on School Street. In 1905, after the death of both Durgin and his son, George F. Durgin, the company was acquired by Gorham through a long process that culminated with an official purchase in 1924. Production was moved to Providence, Rhode Island, in 1931. The company made the Davis Cup, the silver service for the battleship USS New Hampshire, and medals for St. Paul's School. Its Fairfax flatware...
Category

Late 19th Century North American Edwardian Antique William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

Materials

Silver, Sterling Silver

American Edwardian Regency Sterling Silver Jewelry Box with Cherubs
By William B. Durgin
Located in New York, NY
Edwardian Regency sterling silver jewelry box. Made by William B. Durgin in Concord, ca 1910. Rectangular with straight sides and hinged drop-front. Cover hinged and flat. On sides, ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Regency Revival William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

Materials

Sterling Silver

Large Sterling Silver-Mounted Controlled Bubbles Crystal Inkwell by Durgin
By William B. Durgin
Located in New York, NY
Large, Edwardian-Period, sterling silver mounted controlled bubbles design crystal inkwell with hinged lid, William B. Durgin Co., Concord, New Hampshire, Ca. 1900. Measures 4 1/2 in...
Category

Early 1900s Edwardian Antique William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

Materials

Crystal, Sterling Silver

Elegant American Edwardian Sterling Silver and Crystal Vase
By William B. Durgin
Located in New York, NY
Elegant Edwardian sterling silver and crystal vase. Made by Durgin (later part of Gorham) in Concord, NH. Sterling silver base comprising pierced cylinder on urn mount terminating in upward tapering shaft on raised foot with reeded rim. Crystal vessel with wavy petal rim and bellied bowl terminating in cone encased in tapering cylinder. Pretty acid-etched flowers with cut stems and petals. Silver hallmark includes no. 55 and Chicago retailer’s stamp CD Peacock...
Category

Early 20th Century American Edwardian William B. Durgin Sterling Silver

Materials

Crystal, Sterling Silver

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William B. Durgin sterling silver for sale on 1stDibs.

William B. Durgin sterling silver are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of sterling silver and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of William B. Durgin sterling silver, although silver editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sterling silver by William B. Durgin were created in the Art Nouveau style in north america during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sterling silver by Lebkuecher & Co., Shreve, Crump & Low, Graff, and Washbourne & Dunn. Prices for William B. Durgin sterling silver can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $300 and can go as high as $15,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,500.

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