About Us

The Torrington Brush Works began in a small wood frame building about the size of a two car garage in Torrington, Connecticut in 1907. A few years later the Brush Works moved to a larger wooden two story building. The size was 24' X 48', about the size of a US Army barracks at that time. The first items manufactured were scrub brushes and bench dusters. The first employees were neighborhood residents who lived close by. The first brushes were sold by a salesman who rode horseback up and down the river valley.

First Bench Dusters

Torrington is in the upper end of the Naugatuck Valley region of Connecticut. It was one of the earliest areas of industrial development in the country. The Naugatuck River was the focal point running thru Torrington, Waterbury, Ansonia, Derby, to Bridgeport and out the Long Island Sound. These mill towns as they were called became a major manufacturing center of the United States. These factories up and down the Naugatuck River became some of the first customers for Torrington Brush.

First Scrub Brushes

The original scrub, vat and bench dusters were made mostly by hand using old leather belt driven machines to cut and drill the wooden blocks before the tufts or bristles were fastened. The next items in the line were floor sweeping brushes and upright corn brooms. As the years went by the number of different brushes and types of brushes grew to satisfy the requirements for industry.

From a small line of scrub and bench dusters Torrington's lines have grown to 18 different product classes that include everything from artist brushes to wheel brushes. Warehouses in Connecticut and Florida have over 3 million brushes in stock for immediate shipment. The first customers were Naugatuck Valley customers in Connecticut. Torrington Brush now ships it's brushes to customers all over the world.