Heman Benedict leaves the billiard industry, Brunswick, Balke & Collender closes their Syracuse ware-roomsįirst advertisement showing the Benedict and the Brunswick, Balke & Collender (BBC) billiard companies at same address Heman Benedict leaves to manage Syracuse billiard table dealership of J. Thomas William Meachem, formerly of Auburn, NY, buys the Benedict Billiard Table Mfg Company, H. New factory location on Gifford Street damaged by nearby fire Benedict advertises the 'Syracuse Standard Billiard Table' Benedict advertises new and second-hand tables, private tables a specialty Heman Allen Benedict, formerly of Skaneateles, is manufacturing billiard tables in Syracuse, NY Benedict, but also to the business acumen of the well-connected second owner, T. This is thanks not only to the artistry of founder H. produced highly inlaid, elaborately ornamented tables, and in the antique pool table community, Benedict is still the best-known of the old Syracuse makers.

Castle's business closes after he experiences a serious hip injury Castle manufacturing billiard tables with two workman, 60 hrs/weekĬ. New York State factory inspection shows C. Castle works as a commercial traveler (traveling salesman) at the same address as Benedict and Brunswick Castle now works as a book-keeper at the same address as Benedict and BrunswickĬ. Castle as a Billiard Table MakerĪfter years listed as a carpenter or mechanic, C. Castle factory was up and running, initially employing just two people.Ĭensus shows Charles L.

of Syracuse, transitioned from building tables locally to selling tables that were made in New York City by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company.Ĭastle opened his own competing business, and in 1899, the C. But in the mid-1890's, his (probable) employer, the Benedict Billiard Table Co. Castle spent nearly 20 years in the Syracuse, NY billiard table industry, working as a carpenter, billiard mechanic, book-keeper, and traveling salesman. I've had no luck finding William 'Harry' Green's patent yet, but during the 1850's, billiard patenting still revolved mainly around the cushions.(See Antebellum Billiard Table Patents)Ĭharles L. Green, of the National Hotel, Genesee St., was before the New York public with his patent billiard tables, of which there are six in his saloon.' 17, 1858, some familiar Utica faces were seen in the window of a billiard room on Broadway in New York city: 'Wm. Green, Esq, of Utica, one of the most accomplished mechanics the country affords.Īccording to the Utica Daily Observer, Nov. The frames are got up in the ornate style of George IV, and the enamelled cushions are a novelty worthy a careful examination. They are the most perfect specimens of the kind we have ever seen. Moulton, formerly of Weiting Hall, is putting up two of Green's Metallic framed, enamelled cushioned, marble bedded Billiard Tables on the lower floor at the Voorhees House, and will probably have them in operation on Monday. Here's an intriguing description of a billiard table in the Syracuse, N. Nowadays, nearly all the well-to-do citizens have private tables at their homes and all the club houses are furnished with them.'įound on a great resource for searching historic upstate NY newspapers. In the natural course of events the regulation carrom table, a 5 by 10 with no pockets, was introduced.Īt that time there were no clubs and few if any enthusiasts had tables of their own. Finally, about the year '60 the pockets of the tables were reduced from six to four and the size of the tables to 5 1-2 by 11 with slate beds.

It was before the marble or slate beds had been introduced in America. In the old days, it was between the years '55 and '70 that I did the most of my playing-we need to play carroms on a six pocket 6x12 table with wooden beds and oval hard rubber cushions. 'This isn't anything like the way the game used to be played in my time-I mean when my hand was firm and steady, for I now begin to feel the approach of the end.

As he gave a casual glance around the room his eyes chanced to rest upon a gray-haired man, who seemed to be taking a great interest in watching two well-known amateurs manipulate the ivories. While there is at least one billiard table maker in Upstate New York during this time (Jeramiah Staats of Buffalo), all the NY patents were coming from New York City.Ī reporter of this paper dropped into one of our leading billiard parlors yesterday afternoon. (Click patent number to link to online patent records) Here is a list of early Billiard Table Patents (pre-Civil War), developed from the USPTO annual reports in the New York State Library.

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