The Oldest Business in Every State

There’s no exact recipe for success when it comes to business longevity. Some of America’s oldest companies have also been owned by the same family for their entire history. Others managed to survive fires, economic downturns, Prohibition, and anything and everything that might bring down an otherwise well-run shop or restaurant.

One constant among the list of the oldest business in each state plus Washington, D.C., is that no matter the industry, these long-lasting companies are beloved by their communities and trusted by their patrons.

There are a lot of restaurants and bars on the list, and a good number of farms and jewelers. A few newspapers and funeral homes appear, along with a ferry service. And the oldest business in the U.S. predates America’s founding by more than 150 years.

Alabama: Bromberg’s

Founded: 1836

Locations: Birmingham and Mobile

Type: Jewelry

Bottom Line: Bromberg’s

Prussian immigrant Frederick Bromberg established his eponymous store just 18 years after Alabama became a state. It’s one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the U.S. and is currently operated by the sixth generation of Brombergs.

Alaska: Alaska Commercial Co.

Founded: 1867

Locations: 33 stores statewide

Type: Grocery and general

Bottom Line: Alaska Commercial Co.

This chain traces its roots to Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia, who in 1776 gave trading rights to its predecessor, the Russian American Trading Co.

When the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia in 1867, San Francisco merchants Lewis Gerstle and Louis Sloss purchased the trading company and since then it has been operating stores across Alaska under its current name.

Arizona: The Palace

Founded: 1877

Location: Prescott

Type: Restaurant and bar

Bottom Line: The Palace

The Palace opened in 1877 as one of 40-plus bars on Prescott’s aptly named Whiskey Row (there are far fewer now). It was a favorite watering hole of the Earp brothers, Wyatt and Virgil, and their friend Doc Holliday.

It’s often named on American best-of-bar lists, and today the actual bar is all that remains from the original saloon.

Arkansas: Rose Law Firm

Founded: 1820

Location: Little Rock

Type: Law practice

Bottom Line: Rose Law Firm

Rose was established 16 years before Arkansas’ statehood and is the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi River.

The partnership agreement between Robert Crittenden and Chester Ashley still hangs in the office’s boardroom.

California: Ducommun

Founded: 1849

Location: Santa Ana

Type: Aerospace manufacturer

Bottom Line: Ducommun

Originally a hardware store, Ducommun was integral to the birth of the aerospace industry in Southern California in the early 20th century.

Today, the company manufactures electronic and structural systems for aerospace, defense and industrial markets.

Colorado: R&R Market

Founded: 1857

Location: Costilla

Type: Grocery and general

Bottom Line: R&R Market

The original store was a modest 20-by-40 foot structure with 25-inch thick adobe walls sitting atop a rock and mud foundation. R&R holds a special place in the Hispanic and overall history of Colorado.

Today, it’s operated by Felix Romero, a descendant of original owner Dario Gallegos.

Connecticut: Field View Farm

Founded: 1639

Location: Orange

Type: Dairy and farm equipment manufacturer

Bottom Line: Field View Farm

Twelve generations of the Hine family have operated this farm, which is the fourth-oldest business in the U.S.

In 1996, it branched out from its dairy operation and began selling farm machinery after the business was nearly lost in a devastating fire.

Delaware: DuPont

Founded: 1802

Location: Wilmington

Type: Conglomerate

Bottom Line: DuPont

Originally a gunpowder mill, DuPont is now the world’s fourth-largest chemical company and has been involved in crucial industrial breakthroughs in world history.

DuPont is also responsible for developing many things common to our daily lives, such as polymers like Lycra, synthetic paints and refrigerants.  

Florida: Pensacola Hardware

Founded: 1851

Location: Pensacola

Type: Hardware

Bottom Line: Pensacola Hardware

Only two families, the Averys and the Martins, have operated this hardware store in Florida’s panhandle.

The store credits its longevity to its willingness to change with the times and offer customers exactly what they want.

Georgia: The Pirates' House

Founded: 1753

Location: Savannah

Type: Restaurant

Bottom Line: The Pirates' House

Steeped in history and lore, this restaurant is also located in the oldest building in Georgia.

Before it was a restaurant and inn, it was America’s first public experimental garden for developing improvements to food production and agribusiness.

Robert Louis Stevenson reportedly stayed there while writing "Treasure Island."

Hawaii: Amfac

Founded: 1849

Location: Lahaina

Type: Land development

Bottom Line: Amfac

Originally founded as a sugar manufacturer that at its peak was considered one of Hawaii’s Big Five companies, Amfac now develops land on Maui and is traded publicly under the name Kaanapali Land.

Idaho: Joyce Livestock Co.

Founded: 1865

Location: Owyhee County

Type: Cattle ranch

Bottom Line: Joyce Livestock Co.

Five generations of the Joyce-Nettleton family have operated this cattle ranch on 11,000 acres of land (it’s licensed to graze on 120,000 more acres). It seems the family has also been battling the Bureau of Land Management over water and grazing rights for just as long.

Illinois: C.D. Peacock

Founded: 1837

Location: Chicago

Type: Jewelry

Bottom Line: C.D. Peacock

Founded by an English immigrant as a jewelry and watch repair store, C.D. Peacock survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and now operates numerous stores around the city.

The shop was founded at the same time as the city, which then only had a population of 4,000 residents.

Indiana: Register Publications

Founded: 1836

Location: Lawrenceburg

Type: Newspaper publisher

Bottom Line: Register Publications

This publishing house has weeklies and dailies scattered across Indiana and Ohio, but its oldest and original paper is The Dearborn County Register.

Publishing on Thursdays, it has a circulation of 3,500 that is mostly through paid subscriptions and remains a trusted source of news for the community.

Iowa: Breitbach's Country Dining

Founded: 1852

Location: Balltown

Type: Restaurant and bar

Bottom Line: Breitbach's Country Dining

This casual restaurant has been owned by the Breitbach family since 10 years after its opening and was destroyed and rebuilt by back-to-back fires in 2007 and 2008.

It’s known for its pies and fare like sauerkraut, sausages and coleslaw.

Kansas: Davis Funeral Chapel

Founded: 1855

Location: Leavenworth

Type: Funeral home

Bottom Line: Davis Funeral Chapel

Seven generations of the Davis family have operated this funeral home.

Among its many clients are some of the most infamous criminals in Kansas and U.S. history, including Bugs Moran and George "Machine Gun" Kelly of St. Valentine’s Day Massacre fame, and Richard Hickock and Perry Smith of "In Cold Blood" fame.

Kentucky: Jim Beam

Founded: 1795

Location: Clermont

Type: Alcohol distillery

Bottom Line: Jim Beam

Arguably the most recognizable bourbon label in the world, Jim Beam has been produced by seven generations of the Böhm family. These German immigrants would later change the spelling of their name to be easily pronounceable by Americans.

The label is now owned by Suntory Holdings of Japan.

Louisiana: Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Founded: 1772

Location: New Orleans

Type: Bar

Bottom Line: Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Fittingly located on Bourbon Street, this is one of the oldest structures in New Orleans and dates to the city’s Spanish Colonial period. The building is rumored to have been used by brothers Jean and Pierre Lafitte for their smuggling operation in the late 1700s.

The current owners like to say the lore is "a gumbo of truth" with "French, Spanish, African, Cajun and American embellishments."

Maine: Seaside Inn

Founded: 1667

Location: Kennebunkport

Type: Hotel

Bottom Line: Seaside Inn

The Gooch family has operated this inn since more than 100 years before the establishment of the U.S., making it one of the oldest continually operating businesses in the country and the oldest hotel.

It was originally a residence for workers who ferried people across the Kennebunk River.

Maryland: Middleton Tavern

Founded: 1750

Location: Annapolis

Type: Restaurant

Bottom Line: Middleton Tavern

Maryland’s oldest business plays a prominent role in America’s most important early history, having been frequented by the Founding Fathers.

It was the go-to dining destination after the resignation of Gen. Washington's commission in 1783, the ratification of the Treaty of Paris in 1784 and the Annapolis Convention of 1786 that preceded the Philadelphia Convention the following year where the U.S. Constitution was drafted.

Massachusetts: Barker’s Farm

Founded: 1642

Location: North Andover

Type: Farm and orchard

Bottom Line: Barker’s Farm

Eleven generations of Barkers have operated this orchard and farm, and it is the fifth-oldest business in the U.S.

Fruits, vegetables, other foods and plants are grown there and can be purchased on site. It’s famous for its apples.

Michigan: George Jerome & Co.

Founded: 1828

Location: Detroit

Type: Civil engineering

Bottom Line: George Jerome & Co.

Long before Detroit became the car capital of America, the Jerome family established its business there and became a major driver of the city’s development, essentially crafting its borders and street designs.

The family still operates the business.

Minnesota: Fred W. Radde & Sons

Founded: 1886

Location: New Germany

Type: Auctioneer

Bottom Line: Fred W. Radde & Sons

This has been a family business since its founding in the late 19th century.

Fred Radde III still conducts live auctions, his preferred method, but has adapted to the times and added online, phone and proxy bidding.

Mississippi: King’s Tavern

Founded: 1789

Location: Natchez

Type: Restaurant and bar

Bottom Line: King’s Tavern

Originally a tavern and inn, King’s has become a farm-to-table restaurant and bar in recent years. It’s located in the oldest building in Natchez.

The murderous Harpe brothers liked to frequent the tavern in the late 18th century.

Missouri: O’Malley’s Pub

Founded: 1842

Location: Weston

Type: Brewery

Bottom Line: O’Malley’s Pub

The riverbanks of Weston used to house many breweries, but O’Malley’s is the only one left from that era.

Today, it’s part of the Weston Brewing Co., which still uses the 60-foot deep beer cellar for its operations and for entertaining patrons.

Montana: Bale of Hay Saloon

Founded: 1863

Location: Virginia City

Type: Bar

Bottom Line: Bale of Hay Saloon

Visitors to this purportedly haunted saloon get a heavy dose of the Old West when they walk through the doors.

It was a grocery and liquor store until 1890, then became a saloon. And it stood empty from 1908 to 1945 when it was restored as the bar it is today.

Nebraska: First National Bank

Founded: 1857

Location: Omaha

Type: Bank

Bottom Line: First National Bank

This bank was founded by the Kountze brothers during the Panic of 1857, which was the first economic crisis on a global scale.

They originally traded in gold dust and bison hides, and their vault was locked with a leather strap. This meant that at least one brother was always sleeping at the bank with a shotgun at his side.

Nevada: Genoa Bar

Founded: 1853

Location: Genoa

Type: Bar

Bottom Line: Genoa Bar

Drinking establishments of various names have always existed here, and it was also a brothel during its early days.

Original features include half of the bar and a red oil lamp that is still lit once a year on New Year's Eve.

New Hampshire: Tuttle's Red Barn

Founded: 1632

Location: Dover

Type: Farm

Bottom Line: Tuttle's Red Barn

Tuttle's was one of the two oldest family-run farms in the country until it was sold in 2013.

The farm is the subject of a popular children's history book by the same name, and today operates as a country store.

New Jersey: Barnsboro Inn

Founded: 1720

Location: Sewell

Type: Restaurant and bar

Bottom Line: Barnsboro Inn

True to its name, the Barnsboro Inn was once a hotel and tavern with a mandate to stable the horses of travelers, but decades ago narrowed its focus to food and drink.

The original cedar log cabin erected in 1720 remains on the property.

New Mexico: El Farol

Founded: 1835

Location: Santa Fe

Type: Restaurant

Bottom Line: El Farol

It might seem odd that the state’s oldest business is a Spanish restaurant, but it makes sense when you consider the centuries-long colonial history of New Mexico.

The restaurant is also the subject of the famous game theory called the El Farol Bar Problem.

New York: Saunderskill Farm

Founded: 1680

Location: Accord

Type: Farm and market

Bottom Line: Saunderskill Farm

For nearly 340 years, the Schoonmaker family has farmed these lands in upstate New York.

Today, the farm offers year-round produce and flowers thanks to the corn fuel-powered greenhouses that operate in the winter.

And its baked goods are particularly popular.

North Carolina: Tavern in Old Salem

Founded: 1784

Location: Winston-Salem

Type: Restaurant

Bottom Line: Tavern in Old Salem

This restaurant is particularly famous for its version of pot pie called Moravian chicken pie, which is filled only with chunks of chicken and a rich broth.

It’s a true colonial dish that has been served at the tavern since its beginnings and is considered a staple of North Carolina cuisine.

North Dakota: The Bismarck Tribune

Founded: 1873

Location: Bismarck

Type: Newspaper

Bottom Line: The Bismarck Tribune

About three years after its founding, this newspaper became famous for publishing the first stories about Custer’s last stand at Little Bighorn — in fact, the reporter who covered the news, Mark H. Kellogg, died in the battle.

The Tribune is a Pulitzer-winning paper as well, having received the award in 1938 for a series titled, "Self-Help in the Dust Bowl."

Ohio: The Golden Lamb

Founded: 1803

Location: Lebanon

Type: Hotel

Bottom Line: The Golden Lamb

Due to widespread illiteracy at the time, the sign for this hotel originally only featured an image of a golden lamb. Over the years, 12 presidents have visited the property, the first of whom was John Quincy Adams.

The hotel also contains several restaurants that serve traditional and modern American cuisine, and the rooms and common areas are decorated in the style of the Shaker era.

Oklahoma: BC Clark Jewelers

Founded: 1892

Location: Oklahoma City

Type: Jewelry

Bottom Line: BC Clark Jewelers

Originally founded on American Indian territory, this jeweler is most well-known in Oklahoma for its long-running jingle announcing holiday sales. It debuted in 1956 and always returns for five weeks starting the evening of Thanksgiving.

The store claims it’s the longest-running jingle in the U.S., and for locals, it’s a point of pride and mockery.

Oregon: Van Dusen Beverages

Founded: 1849

Location: Astoria

Type: Beverage bottler

Bottom Line: Van Dusen Beverages

Locals have been getting their Pepsi and Dr Pepper from Van Dusen since 1947, and the company proudly bills itself as the world’s smallest Pepsi bottler.

The business first opened as a general store and now bottles water, juice, tea, coffee, energy and sports drinks, and soda.

Pennsylvania: The Rowland Co.

Founded: 1732

Location: Philadelphia

Type: Transmission products manufacturer

Bottom Line: The Rowland Co.

What began as a shovel-making business has turned into a distributor and manufacturer of industrial power transmission products.

The business, which was owned by the Rowland family until the 1950s, was once located in a section of Philadelphia known as Rowlandville due to the jobs the plant supported.

Rhode Island: Kenyon’s Grist Mill

Founded: 1696

Location: Usquepaugh

Type: Grain mill

Bottom Line: Kenyon’s Grist Mill

Kenyon’s still uses its 1880s-era stone grinder to turn grain berries and corn kernels into flour and meal.

It prides its operation on single-pass grinding, which means that unlike industrial mills the flours and meals created at Kenyon’s retain their nutrients.

South Carolina: Lakeside Mills

Founded: 1736

Location: Spindale

Type: Grain mill

Bottom Line: Lakeside Mills

Owned by the King family since 1929, Lakeside produces Southern-style ground corn products like meal and flour on its roller and stone mills.

The company’s lineup includes cornmeal, flour, stone-ground grits, hushpuppy and biscuit mixes, and breading for seafood, chicken and other fried foods.

South Dakota: Norberg Paints

Founded: 1885

Location: Sioux Falls

Type: Paint store

Bottom Line: Norberg Paints

Norberg Paints almost never happened. The story goes that painter brothers S. Albert and Peter Norberg were heading out of town one winter to relocate in milder California when a contractor offered them a job that would last through the cold months.

It was such a large job that it eventually allowed them to buy out the contractor and start their own paint business.

Tennessee: Austin and Bell Funeral Home

Founded: 1842

Locations: Multiple

Type: Funeral home

Bottom Line: Austin and Bell Funeral Home

This funeral home was originally started by Marion Henry, a cabinet maker who also knew how to build coffins.

At the business’s location in Springfield, the lights in the entranceway are the carriage lights that were used on Henry’s original horse-drawn hearse.

Texas: Imperial Sugar

Founded: 1843

Location: Sugar Land

Type: Sugar producer

Bottom Line: Imperial Sugar

What was once a small sugar producer grew into a major national manufacturer before downsizing again in recent years.

The city where the business has always been headquartered is named after the company, and the city seal includes the Imperial Sugar crown from its logo.

Utah: The Deseret News

Founded: 1850

Location: Salt Lake City

Type: Newspaper

Bottom Line: The Deseret News

This publication takes its name from the provisional state that was created by Mormons in Utah before Utah’s actual statehood, and the name "deseret" is derived from the word for "honeybee" in the Book of Mormon.

The paper’s founding was a direct order from the Church of Latter-day Saints’ Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the future Salt Lake City, and it’s still owned by the church.

Vermont: Fort Ticonderoga Ferry

Founded: 1799

Location: Shoreham

Type: Ferry boat

Residents and visitors to Lake Champlain have been taking a scenic seven-minute daytime ferry ride from Shoreham, Vermont across the water to Ticonderoga, New York for 220 years. It’s the oldest ferry operation in the U.S.

Bottom Line: Fort Ticonderoga Ferry

Residents and visitors to Lake Champlain have been taking a scenic seven-minute daytime ferry ride from Shoreham, Vermont, across the water to Ticonderoga, New York, for 220 years.

It’s the oldest ferry operation in the U.S.

Virginia: Shirley Plantation

Founded: 1613

Location: Charles City

Type: Farm

Bottom Line: Shirley Plantation

Virginia’s oldest business is also the oldest in the U.S. It has been operated by the Hill family since 1638.

It remains a working plantation to this day, as well as being a museum, private residence and National Historic Landmark.

Washington: Laird Norton Co.

Founded: 1855

Location: Seattle

Type: Wealth management

Bottom Line: Laird Norton Co.

This investment firm has been a family business for seven generations and first started as a Pacific Northwest logging operation.

Washington, D.C.: Old Ebbitt Grill

Founded: 1856

Location: Downtown

Type: Restaurant

Bottom Line: Old Ebbitt Grill

This 567-seat, Victorian-inspired eatery accommodates more than 1 million visitors a year. It’s known for its oysters and a popular annual festival celebrating this delicacy.

Old Ebbitt has occupied many different locations over the years and is currently in the downtown area, close to the White House.

West Virginia: The Greenbrier

Founded: 1778

Location: Allegheny Mountains

Type: Resort

Bottom Line: The Greenbrier

Billed as America’s Resort, this luxury property was built atop a natural mineral spring and has welcomed 27 of the nation’s 46 presidents over its more than 240-year life.

The 11,000-acre property features 710 guest rooms, 20 restaurants and lounges, and 36 retail shops.

Wisconsin: Minhas Craft Brewery

Founded: 1845

Location: Monroe

Type: Alcohol maker

Bottom Line: Minhas Craft Brewery

The fourth-largest brewery in the U.S. might be most recognizable as the producer of Trader Joe’s budget brands Simpler Times and Boatswain, and Costco’s own beer label. It also makes other beer, wine, liquor and alcopops.

Minhas’ museum also claims to house the largest collection of beer memorabilia in the country.

Wyoming: Miners and Stockmen’s

Founded: 1862

Location: Hartville

Type: Restaurant

Bottom Line: Miners and Stockmen’s

Steak is the name of the game at this historic restaurant in a former mining boomtown that is now home to only 60 or so residents. It also offers a long list of wines and whiskies.

The building is purported to be haunted by a piano-playing ghost.