Firearm Factory of the Month: W.H. Davenport Firearms Co.

The story of the W.H. Davenport Firearms Company starts with the man who founded the Company.
William Hastings Davenport was born on April 20th, 1828 in Mendon, MA. Despite my best efforts I could not find a picture or any other info on Davenport.

Davenport started out as a barrel maker for some notable New England gun makers like Sharps, Hopkins and Allen and Burnside.

In 1878 Davenport opened up a shop to make shotguns (and barrels) on Eddy Street in Providence, RI, he would have been 50 years old. He named the Company W.H. Davenport & Company.

After a couple of years he closed the business and reopened under the Davenport Arms Company. The production was moved to 79 Orange Street in Providence.
Davenport specialized in affordable single barrel shotguns, many times brand labeling them for hardware and general mercantile stores in the west.
By 1884 this second venture was going under. 
Davenport relocated to his home state of Massachusetts and started a business with a man named Joseph Walter Day and on March 7th, 1884 they founded the Bay State Arms Company. 
It is possible that Day and Davenport were brothers-in-law as they both married women with the last name Taft.
See my write up on Bay State Arms here.

They set up shop in an old grist mill on the Mumford River in Uxbridge. During this time Davenport patented a machine for rifling barrels.
This enterprise lasted for 3 years when for some reason or another they moved their operation to Norwich. The plan was to rent out space at the Hopkins and Allen factory.
A few years later Bay State Arms was dissolved and Davenport took a job as Plant Superintendent with Hopkins and Allen.

Sometime in 1890 or there about Davenport left Hopkins and Allen and set about to begin making his own guns again. This new company would called Davenport Fire Arms Co.

Davenport passed away in 1904 at the age of 76. His company continued to produce shotguns and rifles until 1909. A few years later Hopkins and Allen bought what was left and produced some of the Davenport models using his name. 





What Remains:

There are several Eddy streets in Providence. I don't have an address for the original factory. Providence, like many New England towns has a plethora of old buildings.

The factory at 79 Orange street was replaced at some point with the building below. The current building on the corner of Orange and Pine streets houses the address of 72-88 Orange street.

The Uxbridge factory where the Bay State Arms guns were made is still standing, it is now a liquor store

The Hopkins and Allen building on the corner of Willow and Franklin streets burned down on February 4th, 1900.

I could not find any information on the factory used to build the Davenport guns from the 1890-1909 period, it is possible that the he rented space at the Hopkins and Allen factory pre and post fire.

The post fire Hopkins and Allen factory still stands at the corner of Willow and Franklin Streets in downtown Norwich.

Sources:
American Firearms
Double Gun Shop Forum