For more than 160 years, Stewart Iron Works has left its mark across the country.
The City of Erlanger honored Stewart Iron Works as its Business Spotlight during the July 7 city council meeting, recognizing the nationally known metalworking company for its craftsmanship, history and contributions to the community.
Forged in 1862, Stewart Iron Works opened in Covington. In just a few years, the company planted its roots and soon became the world’s largest ornamental fence company and the country’s largest ornamental iron furniture manufacturer. Today, the company’s signature shield can be found on projects across the nation, including benches in Central Park, light fixtures at the U.S. Capitol and even jail cells in Alcatraz.
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During the meeting, City Communications Director Lauryn Groce said Stewart Iron Works has built a reputation for custom metal fabrication and handcrafted quality while maintaining its Northern Kentucky home base.
Bill Morgan, the company’s vice president of operations, delivered remarks upon accepting the recognition, saying the company’s history is the most important reflection of the hard work that has gone into these operations.
Credit: Photo provided by Lauryn Groce, Community Engagement Coordinator City of Erlanger
“I’m real proud of the company,” he said. “It is established in 1862, and we were the biggest iron fence company, ornamental company in the world for quite a long time.”
While Stewart Iron Works became known for ornamental fencing and decorative ironwork, partnerships began to develop during the early 1900s, expanding its work to military vehicles and the one-ton military trucks used in the U.S Army in World War I.
As demand shifted, it started producing security doors and prison cell systems, including work for Alcatraz.
Today, the company specializes in commercial architectural metalwork while continuing its tradition of handcrafted ornamental iron.
Since 2019, when Stewart Iron Works joined the Huseman Group, it has only continued to grow, expanding its role in larger construction projects throughout the region.
The Huseman Group, the Cincinnati-based construction company, has been involved in projects including the restoration of Music Hall and the new Fidelity Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, where Stewart Iron Works completed much of the decorative ironwork and stair railings.
Morgan said being part of the larger organization has set the company up for greater success and opportunities.
“We hope to be a bigger employer as we grow here in Erlanger and be a very special and a unique business located here,” Morgan said. “Our stuff is beautiful. We still do handmade gates and fences and decorative work… It’s one of the first times my career has intersected with art, and I’m just really enjoying it that way.”
Although the company now completes commercial projects across the country, Morgan said traditional craftsmanship remains central to Stewart Iron Works. Skilled blacksmiths continue to forge decorative pieces by hand, preserving techniques that have defined the business for generations.
He also encouraged residents to visit the facility and see the craftsmanship firsthand.
“If you want to, give me a call,” Morgan said. “We can arrange for anyone to visit and see the place as well.”
A video presented during the meeting showcases Stewart Iron Works’ work across the country. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s artisans’ hand-forging decorative ironwork, displaying the craftsmanship and efforts that are still recognized today more than a century and a half after it was founded.
