Fragrance house

Caswell-Massey

Caswell-Massey began in 1752 in Newport, Rhode Island, as Dr. William Hunter’s Apothecary, offering medical and formulary services alongside imported medicinal items, oils, and remedies. It later developed into a supplier of grooming goods and fragrances for elite American households, becoming Caswell & Hazard in 1833 and adopting the Caswell-Massey name in 1876 after John Rose Caswell partnered with William Massey. Milton and Ralph Taylor acquired the company in 1936 and owned it for roughly five decades; during their tenure, the New York store and bespoke perfumery attracted cultural and entertainment figures. The business also created customer-specific perfumes, and many current fragrances draw on those bespoke formulas and archival materials. In 2018, Caswell-Massey introduced biodegradable fragrance packaging and fragrance-capture technology for its New York Botanical Garden scents. Today, the brand is owned and operated by America’s 1752 Original, LLC and its affiliates. Its fragrance history includes Number Six, first dated to 1772 and purchased by George Washington in Newport in 1781, and Jockey Club, introduced in 1840 and associated with John F. Kennedy.