B. F. Sturtevant Company
A Boston-founded industrial manufacturer that helped pioneer mechanical fans, building ventilation, industrial air conditioning, and marine ventilation systems.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The B. F. Sturtevant Company was a Boston-based industrial manufacturer whose work contributed to the development of modern ventilation, heating, air conditioning, and air-moving equipment. Founded in 1860 by inventor Benjamin Franklin Sturtevant, the company initially produced wooden pegs for the shoe industry. The peg-making process generated substantial sawdust, prompting Sturtevant to devise a mechanical fan that could clear airborne dust from the factory. That practical invention redirected the business toward fans and blowers and established the technical foundation for the company’s later industrial activities. By 1864, Sturtevant was producing what was described as the first commercially successful blower. The company had shifted entirely to fan manufacture by 1866, when it employed approximately 50 workers. In 1869 it introduced the Sturtevant system, which adapted hot-blast heating and ductwork to distribute warmed air through buildings. This approach became an important early form of central interior heating and positioned the company beyond simple fan production. The company moved its plant to Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood in 1876 and began developing marine ventilation equipment for the United States Navy. In 1879 it introduced a system for ventilating ship hulls. Mechanical-draft fans supplied to USS Alliance improved the vessel’s fuel efficiency sufficiently to make its auxiliary sailing system unnecessary, illustrating the practical value of Sturtevant’s equipment in naval engineering. After Benjamin Sturtevant died in 1890, his son-in-law Eugene Foss assumed control. A major fire in 1901 led to the relocation of the company’s operations to Hyde Park, Massachusetts, where a new ten-building, 20-acre facility designed by Lockwood, Greene & Co. opened in 1903. At this stage Sturtevant had become one of the world’s largest electrical-fan manufacturers and offered a broad range of industrial systems, including ventilation, heating, air conditioning, dust and fume removal, power equipment, drying machinery, and vacuum-cleaning systems. Sturtevant also claimed important early air-conditioning installations. In 1906 it installed an industrial air-conditioning system at Walter Baker & Company in Dorchester, Massachusetts. In 1910 it installed an early residential air-conditioning system in a Chicago hotel. The company expanded geographically during the early twentieth century, opening a factory in Galt, Ontario, in 1913 and additional United States facilities in Framingham, Massachusetts, Camden, New Jersey, and Berkeley, California. A plant opened in Wisconsin in 1923, and the community of Sturtevant took its name from the associated factory works. The company’s product development included the Silentvane backward-curved fan, introduced in 1922 for efficient, comparatively quiet air movement. Silentvane equipment was later used in ventilation work for the Holland Tunnel. In 1927 the company introduced Inlet Vane Control, a method of adjusting fan performance to changing load requirements. This allowed systems to use simpler motors and reduce power consumption. Sturtevant also produced aircraft engines beginning in 1911 through its manufacturing operations before that activity was absorbed into the B. F. Sturtevant Company. The business experienced financial pressure after Foss left in 1909 to pursue political office, including three one-year terms as governor of Massachusetts. His personal financial problems contributed to the company being placed into receivership in 1917. World War I contracts nevertheless helped the company survive and expand. During World War II, Sturtevant ventilation equipment was installed in almost every newly built United States fighting ship, making naval ventilation one of its most significant wartime applications. In 1945, near the end of World War II, Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired Sturtevant. Westinghouse modernized the Hyde Park facilities in 1946, but in 1954 transferred the air-conditioning business to Virginia. The Boston operation subsequently concentrated more narrowly on industrial fans. In 1985 the company was sold to South Africa-based American-Davidson, which soon sold the industrial-fan line to Acme Engineering & Manufacturing of Oklahoma. American-Davidson closed the remaining Sturtevant operations in 1989. The company is therefore a defunct industrial brand whose historical importance lies in the commercialization of mechanical blowers and its early contributions to building, marine, and industrial air-handling technology.
History
B. F. Sturtevant began in Boston in 1860 when Benjamin Franklin Sturtevant established a business making wooden shoe pegs. Sawdust produced during peg manufacture led him to invent a mechanical fan for workplace dust removal. The company commercialized a blower by 1864 and had become exclusively a fan manufacturer by 1866. Its engineering scope expanded quickly. The 1869 Sturtevant system used hot-blast heating and ducts to circulate warm air through buildings. Following a move to Jamaica Plain in 1876, the company developed marine ventilation equipment, including mechanical-draft fans and a ship-hull ventilation system supplied to the United States Navy. The equipment installed on USS Alliance improved fuel efficiency and demonstrated the company’s ability to apply air-handling technology to naval vessels. Following Sturtevant’s death in 1890, his son-in-law Eugene Foss led the business. A 1901 fire resulted in a major relocation to Hyde Park, Massachusetts, where a large new plant opened in 1903. The company had by then diversified into electrical fans, industrial ventilation, heating, air conditioning, dust and fume extraction, drying, power-related equipment, and vacuum cleaning. It installed an early industrial air-conditioning system at Walter Baker & Company in 1906 and an early residential system in a Chicago hotel in 1910. Sturtevant expanded across North America, establishing a Canadian factory in Galt, Ontario, in 1913 and United States facilities in Framingham, Camden, Berkeley, and Wisconsin during the following decade. The company also manufactured aircraft engines beginning in 1911 before that activity was incorporated into the broader B. F. Sturtevant business. Foss left in 1909 to pursue Massachusetts politics. His personal financial difficulties contributed to a receivership involving the company in 1917, although wartime contracts helped it continue and grow. Product development continued after World War I. Silentvane backward-curved fans appeared in 1922 and were used in the ventilation of the Holland Tunnel. Inlet Vane Control, introduced in 1927, enabled fan output to respond to changing loads and could reduce power requirements by permitting simpler motor arrangements. During World War II, Sturtevant ventilation systems were installed in almost every newly built United States fighting ship. Westinghouse acquired the company in 1945 and modernized the Hyde Park facilities in 1946. In 1954, Westinghouse transferred the air-conditioning business to Virginia, leaving the Boston operation more focused on industrial fans. American-Davidson acquired Sturtevant in 1985 and soon transferred the industrial fan line to Acme Engineering & Manufacturing. The remaining Sturtevant operations were closed in 1989. The brand’s legacy is primarily technological: it helped turn mechanical air movement, ducted heating, marine ventilation, and industrial air conditioning into scalable engineering businesses.
- 1989
Operations closed
[1]American-Davidson closed the remaining Sturtevant operations.
- 1954
Air-conditioning business transferred
[1]Westinghouse moved the air-conditioning business to Virginia, narrowing the Boston operation’s focus toward industrial fans.
- 1945
Acquired by Westinghouse
[1]Westinghouse Electric Corporation took over the company.
- 1927
Inlet Vane Control introduced
[1]The company introduced a system that adjusted fan operation to load requirements and could reduce energy use.
- 1917
Receivership
[1]Financial problems connected with Eugene Foss’s personal assets placed the company into receivership, although wartime orders supported its recovery.
- 1910
Early hotel air-conditioning installation
[1]Sturtevant installed an early residential air-conditioning system at a Chicago hotel.
- 1903
Hyde Park complex opens
[1]The company moved into a ten-building, 20-acre Hyde Park complex designed by Lockwood, Greene & Co.
- 1901
Factory fire
[1]A fire damaged the plant and preceded the company’s move to a new Hyde Park facility.
- 1876
Plant moves to Jamaica Plain
[1]Sturtevant relocated its Boston plant to the Jamaica Plain neighborhood and expanded its engineering work.
- 1869
Sturtevant system introduced
[1]The company introduced a hot-blast, ducted-air approach to interior building heating.
Products and positioning
Engineering-led industrial air-movement and environmental-control manufacturer, distinguished by early commercialization of fans, blowers, ducted heating, marine ventilation, and industrial air conditioning.
Industrial air movement · 1864
Mechanical blowers and industrial fans
The company’s foundational products were mechanical blowers and fans used to move air, remove dust, support industrial processes, and ventilate buildings and ships. Sturtevant’s transition from shoe-peg manufacturing to dedicated fan production made air-moving equipment its central commercial identity.
Building heating · 1869
Sturtevant system
Introduced in 1869, the Sturtevant system adapted hot-blast heating and ductwork to distribute warmed air through building interiors. It represented an early integrated approach to central heating rather than relying solely on room-by-room heat sources.
Marine engineering · 1879
Marine ventilation systems
Sturtevant developed equipment for ventilating ship hulls and supplying mechanical draft to marine boilers and engines. Its systems were used by the United States Navy, including on USS Alliance, where improved air and draft management contributed to fuel-efficiency gains.
HVAC · 1906
Industrial air-conditioning systems
The company supplied early air-conditioning installations for industrial and building applications. Its 1906 installation at Walter Baker & Company was an early industrial example, followed by an early residential installation in a Chicago hotel in 1910.
Industrial fans · 1922
Silentvane fans
Silentvane fans were backward-curved fans introduced in 1922. Their design emphasized efficient air movement with reduced operating noise and was used in major ventilation work, including the Holland Tunnel.
Fan controls · 1927
Inlet Vane Control
Introduced in 1927, Inlet Vane Control adjusted fan performance to changing load requirements. The system was intended to simplify motor arrangements and reduce power consumption in industrial air-handling installations.
Aircraft equipment · 1911
Aircraft engines
Beginning in 1911, Sturtevant manufacturing operations produced several aircraft engines before that activity was absorbed into the B. F. Sturtevant Company. This was a secondary line compared with the company’s established fan and ventilation business.
Brand decisions
1985
Sale to American-Davidson and subsequent divestitureM&ABackground
After its period under Westinghouse ownership, Sturtevant was sold to American-Davidson, a South Africa-based company.
Action taken
American-Davidson acquired Sturtevant and quickly sold the industrial fan line to Acme Engineering & Manufacturing of Oklahoma.
Aftermath
The remaining Sturtevant activities were eventually closed in 1989.
1945
Westinghouse acquisitionM&ABackground
Near the end of World War II, B. F. Sturtevant was acquired by Westinghouse Electric Corporation after decades of work in industrial and naval air handling.
Action taken
Westinghouse took control of the company and reconstructed and modernized the Hyde Park facilities in 1946.
Aftermath
In 1954, Westinghouse moved the air-conditioning business to Virginia, leaving the Boston operation more concentrated on industrial fan manufacturing.
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