This sidewalk lid is found on Hicks St., Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn. Howell Saxtan & Co. were usually listed as Howell & Saxtan, and the proprietors were James Howell (1829-1897) and Daniel Y. Saxtan (1824-?).
James Howell was prominent in Brooklyn politics and served two terms as Mayor. His obituary in the New York Times (28 Jan. 1897, p. 7) reads in part, "Ex-Mayor James Howell of Brooklyn, President of the Trustees of New York and Brooklyn Bridge, who had been ill since last Spring, died yesterday morning at 7:40 o'clock, at his home, 8 South Portland Avenue, Brooklyn. ... Mr. Howell was born at Bradford, Wiltshire, England, Oct. 16, 1829. His parents brought him to this country when he was six years old, and located at New Lisbon, Ohio, where he received his early education. He went to Brooklyn in 1845. He began business as a grocer, but soon gave that up to learn the iron trade. He became foreman in the shop in which he worked, and in 1855 laid the foundation of the great iron firm of Howell & Saxton [sic].
"In 1864 he was elected a Supervisor from the Eleventh Ward, where he resided for many years. He was re-elected and also served in the Board of Aldermen. In 1877 he was elected Mayor by 3,000 majority over John F. Henry, the Republican candidate. In 1879, when he was renominated as a reward for an able administration of the city's affairs, he was elected over Franklin Woodruff by a majority of 12,000. He accepted a third nomination in 1881, but was defeated by Seth Low by a majority of less than 3,000."Howell & Saxtan was also known as the Central Iron Works. They had offices at 353 Adams St., and their foundry was located at the corner of Park Ave. and Hudson Ave., Brooklyn. This ad appeared in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac of 1892. They were located at 353 Adams St. from approximately 1874 until they closed in the early 1890s. In Dec., 1892, an ad in the Pratt Institute Monthly cited Carrère & Haas Iron Works as "Successors to Howell & Saxtan." Their Brooklyn office was "Nos. 351 and 353 Adams Street," and their foundries / works were "Park and Hudson Ave., 331, 333, 351 and 353 Adams St., Brooklyn, N. Y." In 1899 the New York Times (17 Dec. 1899, p. 16) reported that the Saxtan & Howell properties had passed into the hands ot the "Eagle Iron Works, Jacob May, president."
Another Howell & Saxtan sidewalk lid (coal chute?) can be found at 161 Congress St., Brooklyn.
Howell & Saxtan also manufactured cast-iron for shop fronts. An example of their foundry mark is found at 9 Bleecker St., Manhattan.
Copyright (c) 2009 Walter Grutchfield
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