Portland Stone Ware Co., Inc. has been a family owned and operated business dating back to its inception in 1847. There have been two families at the helm, the Winslow family (1847) and now the Schuler family (1970). Portland Stone Ware was founded by John T. Winslow who started out making pottery, clay jugs and pots for food storage. Under the direction of his son, Edward B. Winslow, Portland Stone Ware developed into one of the largest manufacturers of Vitrified Salt-Glazed sewer pipe and firebrick on the east coast. The once large factory was located at the salt marsh in Back Cove, Deering Point on 253 Forest Ave, Portland, ME. It had excellent facilities for shipping and receiving via the shipping channel through Back Cove. At high tide, sailing vessels of 1500 tons could easily come up to the large wharf delivering raw goods and transporting finished goods. It also had two rail spurs connecting it to the Boston and Maine. A sales office was located on 42 Oliver St., Boston, MA in early 1900, eventually moving to 177 Pemberton Street, Cambridge, MA in 1959. Ronald A. Schuler Sr. joined the firm in 1954, as a sales representative. He was eventually promoted to General Manager of the Cambridge location.
The Federal government took the property in Portland, ME by emanate domain in 1970, for the purpose of constructing Interstate Route 295, which closed the Portland facility. At this time Ronald Schuler Sr. purchased the Cambridge facility from the Winslow-Clark family. Ronald Schuler Sr. changed the focus of the company as clay sewer pipe requirements were diminishing throughout the area. He developed the fabrication of the Portland Cement Filled Column. Before his early morning coffee he would make cement using a small hand mixer in order to fill the columns. These became officially known as Portland Cement Filled Columns. He would then change his clothes and make in person sales calls to customers .
Ronald Schuler Sr.’s children, Donna Morgan, Ron Jr. and Robert joined him in the business in the late 70’s. As the family expanded the product lines to serve the lumber and masonry industries a need for a larger facility developed. The business moved from the Cambridge, MA to its current location at 50 McGrath Rd in Dracut, MA in 1999. Ronald Schuler Sr. passed away in 2008.
As the company continues to grow and expand heavily into the stone/hardscape distribution and fabrication market, we found the need to expand our yard space. In 2017, PSW built a new building, located down the street in Methuen, MA to accommodate the fabrication of house columns and bollards. The new building and acreage doubled our footprint. In November of 2018, we acquired Dean Column Co. of Queensbury, NY and began to manufacture products with a patented locking system, known as the Structural Lock System.
The PSW family is carrying on the tradition of top quality, innovative products and first class service for the masonry and lumber industries as a wholesaler in the Northeast and mid Atlantic states.