History of American Cast Iron

From the Great Foundries to a Modern Revival

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cast-iron skillets, Dutch ovens, griddles and waffle irons were everyday tools in American homes. Built for wood stoves, open fires and early ranges, many remain usable today.

Respected names of the era included Griswold Manufacturing in Erie, Pennsylvania; Wagner Manufacturing in Sidney, Ohio; Wapak Hollow Ware in Wapakoneta, Ohio; and Vollrath in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. They became known for thin, well-balanced cookware with smooth cooking surfaces. Many pans were ground or machined after casting, creating the polished interiors that make vintage skillets desirable among collectors and cooks.

The great foundries disappeared for different reasons. Wapak closed after declaring bankruptcy in the 1920s. Griswold and Wagner lasted longer but eventually lost their independence through sales, mergers and corporate consolidation. Vollrath survived by moving away from traditional household cast iron and focusing on commercial food service products.

American kitchens changed after World War II. Lighter aluminum and stainless steel cookware were promoted as modern. Later, factory-applied nonstick coatings promised easier cooking and cleanup without seasoning. Meanwhile, casting, grinding and polishing traditional cookware became increasingly expensive. The qualities that make vintage skillets valuable today also made them difficult to produce profitably for a mass market.

Lodge Cast Iron survived because it adapted. Founded in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, in 1896, Lodge invested in automated molding equipment, simplified production and offered durable cookware at attainable prices. Its newer skillets did not receive the extensive polishing found on earlier pans, but efficient production allowed Lodge to keep its foundry operating as competitors closed or changed direction. Family ownership also supported its commitment to American manufacturing.

Lodge later made cast iron more approachable by offering factory-seasoned cookware ready to use. When interest in traditional cooking, live-fire cooking and American-made products returned, Lodge had the production capacity, distribution network and brand recognition to meet demand. It endured decades when cast iron was considered outdated and was ready when cooks embraced it again.

New manufacturers blend vintage inspiration with modern production. Field Company produces lightweight skillets that capture the feel of antique cookware. Smithey Ironware in Charleston, South Carolina, creates polished cast iron with heirloom-quality styling. Stargazer combines a smooth cooking surface with modern handle design and refined ergonomics. Lancaster Cast Iron makes lightweight, machined cookware in Pennsylvania. Together, they have restored finely finished cast iron as a premium American product.

The revival also reflects concerns about materials that contact food. Many consumers seek cookware without synthetic coatings or unfamiliar compounds. BPA, or bisphenol A, is associated primarily with certain plastics, resins and food-container linings, not traditional cast iron. PFAS, a broad group of fluorinated chemicals, are more relevant to some nonstick coatings. Although regulators allow certain polymerized PFAS materials in cookware, concern has grown because some persist in the environment and have been linked to health risks.

Bare cast iron offers a comparatively simple alternative: iron protected by polymerized cooking oil rather than a factory-applied synthetic coating. It is not maintenance-free, and it can increase the iron content of some foods, particularly acidic foods. Still, its durability, repairability and lack of a disposable coating appeal to many cooks.

The growth of Field Company, Smithey Ironware, Stargazer and Lancaster Cast Iron shows that American cast iron did not disappear with Griswold, Wagner and Wapak. It evolved from an everyday necessity into a renewed expression of craftsmanship, sustainability and confidence in long-lasting kitchen tools. Together with Lodge, these companies are carrying an American foundry tradition forward, one skillet and generation at a time.