Oldest Operating Business in Every U.S. State: Historic Companies Revealed

There’s no single formula for business longevity. Some of America’s oldest companies have stayed in the same family for generations. Others survived fires, economic crises, Prohibition and other forces that would have shuttered many well-run enterprises.

What unites the oldest businesses in each state (and Washington, D.C.) is a deep connection to their communities and a reputation for reliability. The list features many restaurants and bars, several farms and jewelers, a handful of newspapers and funeral homes, a ferry service—and one business that was founded more than 150 years before the United States was established.

Alabama: Bromberg’s

Founded: 1836

Locations: Birmingham and Mobile

Type: Jewelry

Bromberg’s was founded by Prussian immigrant Frederick Bromberg just 18 years after Alabama became a state. It remains one of the country’s oldest family-owned businesses and is now run by the sixth generation of the Bromberg family.

Alaska: Alaska Commercial Co.

Founded: 1867

Locations: 33 stores statewide

Type: Grocery and general

This chain traces its roots to the Russian American Trading Company, which received trading rights in the 18th century. When the United States bought Alaska in 1867, merchants bought the trading business and it evolved into stores operating across Alaska under the Alaska Commercial Company name.

Arizona: The Palace

Founded: 1877

Location: Prescott

Type: Restaurant and bar

Opened on Prescott’s historic Whiskey Row, The Palace was frequented by Wyatt and Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday. Today the bar is one of the surviving pieces of the original saloon and continues to be recognized among notable American bars.

Arkansas: Rose Law Firm

Founded: 1820

Location: Little Rock

Type: Law practice

Established 16 years before Arkansas became a state, Rose Law Firm is recognized as the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi. The original partnership agreement still hangs in the firm’s boardroom.

California: Ducommun

Founded: 1849

Location: Santa Ana

Type: Aerospace manufacturer

What began as a hardware store helped spark Southern California’s aerospace industry. Today Ducommun manufactures electronic and structural systems for aerospace, defense and industrial markets.

Colorado: R&R Market

Founded: 1857

Location: Costilla

Type: Grocery and general

Originally a small adobe store with very thick walls, R&R Market holds a central place in Colorado’s Hispanic and regional history. It is still run by a descendant of the original owner.

Connecticut: Field View Farm

Founded: 1639

Location: Orange

Type: Dairy and farm equipment manufacturer

Operated by the Hine family for twelve generations, Field View Farm is among the oldest businesses in the U.S. After a devastating fire, it diversified into selling farm machinery, ensuring its survival into the modern era.

Delaware: DuPont

Founded: 1802

Location: Wilmington

Type: Conglomerate

Beginning as a gunpowder mill, DuPont grew into a major chemical company responsible for many industrial innovations, including synthetic materials widely used in daily life.

Florida: Pensacola Hardware

Founded: 1851

Location: Pensacola

Type: Hardware

Operated by only two families since its founding, Pensacola Hardware credits its longevity to adapting to customer needs and changing times.

Georgia: The Pirates’ House

Founded: 1753

Location: Savannah

Type: Restaurant

Housed in the oldest building in Georgia, The Pirates’ House has roots in early agricultural experimentation and long-standing lore. It’s said that Robert Louis Stevenson stayed here while writing Treasure Island.

Hawaii: Amfac

Founded: 1849

Location: Lahaina

Type: Land development

Originally a sugar company and once counted among Hawaii’s “Big Five” firms, Amfac now focuses on land development under the Kaanapali Land name.

Idaho: Joyce Livestock Co.

Founded: 1865

Location: Owyhee County

Type: Cattle ranch

Operated by five generations of the Joyce-Nettleton family, this ranch spans 11,000 owned acres and holds grazing rights on much more. The family has long engaged with federal land-management issues while running their operation.

Illinois: C.D. Peacock

Founded: 1837

Location: Chicago

Type: Jewelry

Founded by an English immigrant as a jewelry and watch repair shop, C.D. Peacock survived the Great Chicago Fire and now operates multiple stores across the city.

Indiana: Register Publications

Founded: 1836

Location: Lawrenceburg

Type: Newspaper publisher

Known for The Dearborn County Register—the company’s original paper—this publisher still circulates a trusted weekly newspaper to local subscribers.

Iowa: Breitbach’s Country Dining

Founded: 1852

Location: Balltown

Type: Restaurant and bar

This family-run restaurant is known for hearty Midwestern fare and pies. It was rebuilt after consecutive fires in the 2000s and continues to attract locals and visitors.

Kansas: Davis Funeral Chapel

Founded: 1855

Location: Leavenworth

Type: Funeral home

Operated by seven generations of the Davis family, the funeral home has served many notable and infamous clients across Kansas history.

Kentucky: Jim Beam

Founded: 1795

Location: Clermont

Type: Distillery

Jim Beam’s bourbon legacy spans seven generations of the Böhm family, immigrants who anglicized their name. The brand is now owned by Suntory Holdings.

Louisiana: Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop

Founded: 1772

Location: New Orleans

Type: Bar

One of New Orleans’s oldest structures, this building on Bourbon Street has long been steeped in lore and rumored ties to the Lafitte brothers’ smuggling activities. Its history is an eclectic blend of documented fact and colorful storytelling.

Maine: Seaside Inn

Founded: 1667

Location: Kennebunkport

Type: Hotel

Operated by the Gooch family for centuries, Seaside Inn is one of the nation’s oldest continuously running businesses and the oldest hotel in the United States. It began as housing for river ferry workers.

Maryland: Middleton Tavern

Founded: 1750

Location: Annapolis

Type: Restaurant

Visited by Founding Fathers and associated with key post-Revolutionary events, Middleton Tavern played a role in the nation’s early history and remains a notable Annapolis dining destination.

Massachusetts: Barker’s Farm

Founded: 1642

Location: North Andover

Type: Farm and orchard

Run by eleven generations of the Barker family, this orchard grows and sells fruits, vegetables and plants. It’s especially known for its apples and direct-to-consumer farmstand offerings.

Michigan: George Jerome & Co.

Founded: 1828

Location: Detroit

Type: Civil engineering

Before Detroit became synonymous with the auto industry, the Jerome family’s firm shaped the city’s growth and street layout. The company remains family-owned and active in engineering.

Minnesota: Fred W. Radde & Sons

Founded: 1886

Location: New Germany

Type: Auctioneer

Family-run since its founding, Fred W. Radde & Sons continues to hold live auctions while adapting to modern bidding methods like online and phone bids.

Mississippi: King’s Tavern

Founded: 1789

Location: Natchez

Type: Restaurant and bar

Located in Natchez’s oldest building, King’s Tavern began as a tavern and inn and now emphasizes farm-to-table dining, retaining a rich historical atmosphere.

Missouri: O’Malley’s Pub

Founded: 1842

Location: Weston

Type: Brewery

Once one of many breweries along Weston’s riverbanks, O’Malley’s is the last survivor from that era. It’s now part of Weston Brewing Co., still using its deep beer cellar for production and events.

Montana: Bale of Hay Saloon

Founded: 1863

Location: Virginia City

Type: Bar

Offering an Old West atmosphere and rumored hauntings, Bale of Hay transitioned from a grocery and liquor store to a saloon and was restored as a bar in the mid-20th century.

Nebraska: First National Bank

Founded: 1857

Location: Omaha

Type: Bank

Founded during the Panic of 1857 by the Kountze brothers, the bank started as a gold-dust and bison-hide trading operation. In its early days, family members guarded the vault around the clock.

Nevada: Genoa Bar

Founded: 1853

Location: Genoa

Type: Bar

Over its long life the Genoa Bar has operated under various guises, including as a brothel. Original elements like part of the bar and a red oil lamp remain, with the lamp ceremonially lit each New Year’s Eve.

New Hampshire: Tuttle’s Red Barn

Founded: 1632

Location: Dover

Type: Farm

One of the country’s oldest family-run farms until it was sold in 2013, Tuttle’s remains a local landmark and now operates a country store inspired by its long agricultural history.

New Jersey: Barnsboro Inn

Founded: 1720

Location: Sewell

Type: Restaurant and bar

Originally a hotel and tavern serving travelers and their horses, the Barnsboro Inn now focuses on dining. The original 1720 log cabin still stands on the property.

New Mexico: El Farol

Founded: 1835

Location: Santa Fe

Type: Restaurant

El Farol is a Spanish restaurant that reflects New Mexico’s long colonial history. It’s also known in academic circles for inspiring a game-theory problem named after the bar.

New York: Saunderskill Farm

Founded: 1680

Location: Accord

Type: Farm and market

For nearly 340 years the Schoonmaker family has farmed Saunderskill Farm. The property supplies year-round produce and flowers through greenhouse systems and is known for popular baked goods.

North Carolina: Tavern in Old Salem

Founded: 1784

Location: Winston-Salem

Type: Restaurant

This historic tavern is celebrated for Moravian chicken pie, a simple colonial dish served here for centuries and still considered a local culinary staple.

North Dakota: The Bismarck Tribune

Founded: 1873

Location: Bismarck

Type: Newspaper

Shortly after it began, the paper published early reports on Custer’s Last Stand. The Tribune later earned a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Dust Bowl-era self-help efforts.

Ohio: The Golden Lamb

Founded: 1803

Location: Lebanon

Type: Hotel

Known for a sign that once relied on imagery rather than words, The Golden Lamb has hosted 12 U.S. presidents and retains historic dining rooms and Shaker-era decor.

Oklahoma: BC Clark Jewelers

Founded: 1892

Location: Oklahoma City

Type: Jewelry

BC Clark is famous for its holiday jingle—an annual tradition that has aired for decades and become a cultural touchstone across Oklahoma.

Oregon: Van Dusen Beverages

Founded: 1849

Location: Astoria

Type: Beverage bottler

Once a general store, Van Dusen bottles soda and a variety of beverages and bills itself as the world’s smallest Pepsi bottler. It remains a local institution for decades-old beverage distribution.

Pennsylvania: The Rowland Co.

Founded: 1732

Location: Philadelphia

Type: Transmission products manufacturer

Starting as a shovel maker, Rowland evolved into a manufacturer and distributor of industrial power-transmission products and once supported a local neighborhood known as Rowlandville.

Rhode Island: Kenyon’s Grist Mill

Founded: 1696

Location: Usquepaugh

Type: Grain mill

Kenyon’s still uses a stone grinder from the 1880s to produce flours and meals. Its single-pass milling preserves nutrients, distinguishing it from large industrial mills.

South Carolina: Lakeside Mills

Founded: 1736

Location: Spindale

Type: Grain mill

Producing Southern-style corn products, Lakeside Mills uses roller and stone mills to create cornmeal, grits and mixes for traditional regional foods.

South Dakota: Norberg Paints

Founded: 1885

Location: Sioux Falls

Type: Paint store

Norberg Paints began when two brothers took on a winter job that let them buy out a contractor and start their own business. It has remained a community paint supplier since then.

Tennessee: Austin and Bell Funeral Home

Founded: 1842

Locations: Multiple

Type: Funeral home

Started by a cabinet maker who crafted coffins, Austin and Bell preserves historical features such as carriage lights from the original horse-drawn hearse at some locations.

Texas: Imperial Sugar

Founded: 1843

Location: Sugar Land

Type: Sugar producer

Growing from a small producer to a national manufacturer and later downsizing, Imperial Sugar gave its name to the city of Sugar Land and left a lasting imprint on the region.

Utah: The Deseret News

Founded: 1850

Location: Salt Lake City

Type: Newspaper

Founded by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Deseret News took its name from the early Mormon provisional state and remains owned by the church.

Vermont: Fort Ticonderoga Ferry

Founded: 1799

Location: Shoreham

Type: Ferry

For more than two centuries a scenic daytime ferry has connected Shoreham, Vermont, with Ticonderoga, New York across Lake Champlain. It is the oldest continuously operating ferry service in the United States.

Virginia: Shirley Plantation

Founded: 1613

Location: Charles City

Type: Farm

Shirley Plantation is the oldest continuously operating business in the United States and has been managed by the Hill family since 1638. It remains a working plantation, private residence, museum and National Historic Landmark.

Washington: Laird Norton Co.

Founded: 1855

Location: Seattle

Type: Wealth management

Beginning as a logging operation, Laird Norton evolved into an investment and wealth-management firm and has remained a family business for seven generations.

Washington, D.C.: Old Ebbitt Grill

Founded: 1856

Location: Downtown Washington, D.C.

Type: Restaurant

This large Victorian-inspired restaurant near the White House hosts more than a million visitors a year. It’s famous for its oysters and an annual oyster festival, and it has occupied several downtown locations over the years.

West Virginia: The Greenbrier

Founded: 1778

Location: Allegheny Mountains

Type: Resort

Known as “America’s Resort,” The Greenbrier sits atop a mineral spring and has hosted many U.S. presidents over its long history. The expansive property includes guest rooms, restaurants and shops across thousands of acres.

Wisconsin: Minhas Craft Brewery

Founded: 1845

Location: Monroe

Type: Alcohol maker

One of the nation’s largest breweries, Minhas produces private-label beers for major retailers and makes a wide range of alcoholic beverages. Its on-site museum showcases an extensive collection of beer memorabilia.

Wyoming: Miners and Stockmen’s

Founded: 1862

Location: Hartville

Type: Restaurant

This historic steakhouse in a former mining town celebrates the region’s past and serves an extensive selection of wines and whiskies. Local lore includes tales of a piano-playing ghost in the building.