Established in 1796 by watchmaker and silversmith John McFarlane, the company is one of the oldest jewelry stores in North America.[3][4][5]
The present-day Shreve, Crump & Low is the last of a line of firms that began with John McFarlane, who opened a workshop across the street from Paul Revere. In the 1800s, the firm changed its name to Shreve's. In 1869 the firm of Shreve, Crump & Low was formed by merger.[1]
A relocation in 1891 brought Shreve, Crump & Low to its largest building, a six stories high Italian Renaissance style edifice of limestone and marble designed by Henry Forbes Bigelow.[6] In 1929, Shreve, Crump & Low moved to 330 Boylston Street, one of the earliest examples of art decoarchitecture in New England.[1] In 2006, under the ownership of local jeweler, David Walker, the firm opened a new store in Boston’s Back Bay at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley Streets.
Shreve's has also sold antiques, imported fine linen and stationery, and exhibited artifacts from Ancient Greece and Rome. Shreve, Crump & Low is known for classic fine jewelry and timepieces, tableware, and Boston-themed gifts.
In 1974, Shreve, Crump & Low opened a second location at The Mall at Chestnut Hill[2] and it closed in 2009. In May 2012, the Boylston Street store relocated to 39 Newbury Street, Boston.
In 1840, Samuel Cunard was given a 30-inch Shreve's cup for helping to finance the RMS Britannia, the first steamship to travel between Liverpool and Boston.[1]
In 1874 Shreve, Crump & Low installed lighting inlaid with semi precious stones in the Library Restaurant in the Rockingham Hotel showcasing one of the finest examples of the neo-colonial architecture of its time.
In 1899, a Harvard Universitytennis player named Dwight F. Davis purchased a huge trophy from Shreve's to be awarded to the winner of a tournament to which they challenged a team from the United Kingdom. The prize is now known as the Davis Cup.[2]
In 1908, Shreve's created an elaborate silver cup to honor Boston Red Sox hero Cy Young. After the pitcher's death in 1955 this became the Cy Young Award.[2]
