GE and Westinghouse stands and trivets

Over the years, several stands and trivets representing these two companies were released. The first three date to the early 1900s; the last two are contemporary castings from 1953. 

Trivets and stands from the early 1900s

General Electric (GE)  advertisement, circa 1921.

● GE ~ Cast iron, 6 3/4″ x 4 1/8” w/four 2” legs and low side rails. On face: GE, for General Electric.

● GE SF ~ Nickel-plated cast iron, 7 1/4” x 3 5/8” w/three 7/8” feet. There are low side rails and a gate-mark along one edge. On face: GE Co SF CAL, for General Electric Company, San Francisco, California. See also the Trivetology blog post The GE Co SF CAL stand.

● Westinghouse Patented Electric Iron Stand ~ Made of sheet metal, this bi-level stand is 6 1/2” long. The Westinghouse “W” with the letters W.E.P. underneath (Westinghouse Electric Philadelphia.) and the patent date appear on the stand. This device, by F. Thornton, Jr., was specifically designed to support an electrically heated sad-iron. Patent # 1,161,167 was assigned on November 23, 1915 to the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company of Pennsylvania.

Westinghouse advertisement, circa 1921

Westinghouse/Trafford Foundry Trivets, circa 1950s

These two cast iron trivets are commemorative castings, distributed to employees attending the 50th Anniversary celebration of Westinghouse’s Trafford Foundry in Trafford, PA (1903-1953). Although the graphics differ, both feature the Westinghouse “W” in the center of the handle and are the same size: 8 1/2” x 4 3/4” w/three short feet.

● Trafford Foundry Family Day 1953

● E PGH Divisions Family Day 1953

In 1902 the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company established a company town, foundry and manufacturing plant in the area previously known as Stewart’s Station, PA. First named Trafford City in 1904, then shortened to Trafford in 1908, the PA site mirrored a similarly designed Westinghouse complex in Trafford, England. 

The 117 acre PA Westinghouse property was closed in 1985. It was targeted for an EPA cleanup in the early 1980s after the discovery that 22 acres were contaminated with PCB (polychloride byphenal), a byproduct of transformer manufacturing. Latest reports indicate that the site cleanup was expected to be completed by November 30, 2024.

Gallery

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