The Oldest Foundry in New York since 1857.
Written by Tatiana Vitas
There's no computer software behind this hardware. Every knob, hook, hinge and handle is custom made by hand at P.E. Guerin, a foundry located in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
French immigrant Pierre Emmanuel Guerin might not be a household name for us regular folk, but his legacy is literally cast in metal. He’s the mind behind P.E. Guerin Foundry — the oldest decorative hardware firm in the U.S. and the last remaining metal foundry still operating in New York City.
Tucked away at 23 Jane Street, this four-story workshop has been humming since 1892, its furnaces firing up the same way they did over a century ago. Inside, artisans shape molten metal into intricate 18th-century-style door knockers, cabinet pulls, towel rings, and sink basins, each one custom-made by hand.
What’s remarkable is how little has changed. The same time-honored techniques continue to attract a rarefied clientele, from presidents to pedigreed homeowners, all drawn to the kind of craftsmanship that simply doesn’t exist anywhere else in the city.
Every P.E. Guerin piece begins with a foundation of brass. From there, each item is coated or electroplated, then passed through the hands of multiple artisans who meticulously carve, polish, and refine every detail. The result is hardware that reflects the foundry’s exacting standards; a blend of old-world craftsmanship and timeless elegance that has defined P.E. Guerin for more than a century.
Rare Harvard Student Oil Lamp Weighing More Than 15 Pounds with Highly Detailed, Chased Brass, Patented 1887
Packed from floor to ceiling with nearly 100,000 pieces: doorknobs, faucets, hinges, latches, relief sculptures, and more. The sample room feels like stepping inside a living museum of craftsmanship. Every shelf and drawer told a story in brass and bronze.
Models are cast in sand, then filed and chased with tiny chisels and hammers to coax out the smallest details before being polished to perfection. The process teases out details so fine, the curling of a vine, the layered texture of a leaf, the nuanced shadow of a geometric motif, that modern machinery could never replicate.
In an era dominated by speed and mass production, P.E. Guerin remains a sanctuary of patience and skill. Many of the simpler original pieces in the showroom would cost upwards of $10,000 to recreate today.
P.E. Guerin Vice President Martin Grubman, who has worked at the firm since November 1987
P.E Guerin still upholds the same uncompromising standards of quality and service that defined their early days. Today, the legacy continues under the direction of Pierre Emmanuel Guerin’s great-grandnephew, Andrew F. Ward, making it a fourth generation family business.