Our Story
Steeped In American heritage, Caswell-Massey was born in Newport, Rhode Island In 1752.
Our products today reflect ten generations of expertise in fine American fragrance with a longstanding dedication to naturally derived, mindfully formulated bath soaps and skincare.
Scroll to read more into our history.
Apothecary Roots and Early Innovation
Humble Beginnings
Founded in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1752, Caswell-Massey began as Dr. Hunter’s Apothecary, where physician-inventor William Hunter dispensed medicines and the Colonies’ first anatomy lectures.
Well-known for its architectural legacy, Newport played an equally integral role in early American trade and commerce. Inspired by Newport’s bustling trade in European fineries, Dr. Hunter soon blended locally distilled lavender and verbena with imported sandalwood, crafting personal-care luxuries that paired wellness with exquisite scent. The focus on fragrance was and remains integral to the brand's identity. Dr. Hunter became an advocate for clean air, believing in its ties to public health, during a time when many associated body odor with poor health and disease. This advocacy transformed into an interest in perfumery that resulted in Dr. Hunter crafting his own blends, which quickly gained prominence among Newport’s elite.
American Original
America’s Oldest Consumer Brand
Caswell-Massey, established in 1752, holds the distinction of being America’s fourth-oldest continuously operating company and its oldest consumer brand. Guided by the motto “America’s Original Soap and Fragrance Company” the company boasts a rich history rooted in innovation, craftsmanship, and timeless elegance.
Image shows employees standing outside Newport, RI, storefront.
A Scent for America
The Birth of Number Six
Dr. Hunter would soon create a uniquely American fragrance that would gain almost instant popularity among the newly forming nation's elites: Number Six Eau de Parfum. Debuting in 1772, the new fragrance blended the freshness of citrus with the warmth of animalic notes from musk, civet, and ambergris. The resulting scent—bold yet sophisticated—resonated with the emerging American spirit.
Number Six achieved legendary status when soon-to-be first president George Washington discovered and purchased the fragrance for his personal use when visiting Newport in 1781. International fanfare would soon find Number Six when Washington famously gifted cases of the fragrance to the Marquis de Lafayette in Paris. The notoriety and public acclaim led Number Six to become a symbol of refinement demonstrating the newly forming nation's rise from an untamed, distant colony to land of international consequence.
Growth, Transformation, Legacy
TWENTIETH CENTURY MASTERS
In 1876 the company was christened Caswell-Massey when John Rose Caswell joined William Massey, preserving Dr. Hunter’s formulas in archives that still guide today’s creations.
During the Twentieth Century, Caswell-Massey established its reputation as a leading perfumer by creating exclusive scents for celebrity customers, especially those wanting bespoke fragrances. In our legendary New York City store, Ralph Taylor made it a practice to become deeply acquainted with the person for whom he was making the scent. For example, the perfume he created for Greta Garbo, who was known as a woman of mystery, featured nutmeg, thought to be a narcotic ‘mood enhancer.'
Into the 1970s, there were profiles created for each customer—what they liked to do and eat, their favorite colors and fashions, their preferred hobbies and pastimes—to land on the perfect bespoke scent. Customers would ‘try on’ scents for a few weeks before their personal formulations were mastered. Many of the fragrances offered by Caswell-Massey today are rooted in these bespoke fragrances, and many more exist in our famed archives as starting points for new fragrances we have yet to introduce to the public.
Nearly three centuries on, Caswell-Massey remains the quintessential American perfumery—celebrated for heirloom soaps, meticulous grooming essentials, and timeless fragrances that define refined luxury.
Images from the famed Caswell-Massey NYC flagship located at the corner of Lexington and 48th.
