Cincinnati’s oldest business

Established 1819
Over 200 Years of experience

• 1819

  Bromwell’s first act began when Jacob Bromwell, a veteran and former Baltimore resident, founded the store in 1819 after emigrating to Cincinnati. It originally sold supplies to settlers who, just like him, came to the area in the early 1800s. Achieving success in that endeavor, the business grew to manufacture metal goods for the home, such as flour sifters and tin cups.

  Decades later, the manufacturing arm of Bromwell’s grew so large, the operation encompassed an entire city block. Understanding people needed fire to heat homes and cook food, they also began making and selling items related to the hearth.

• 1923

  The business of fireplaces proved lucrative. So lucrative, in fact, that Bromwell’s split its home goods and hearth-centric divisions in 1923. The Grewes—only the second family to own the business since the original Bromwells—purchased the fireplace division and opened a store in Cincinnati. The housewares division left for Indiana.

  That began Bromwell’s second act.

  For the next eight decades, the Gerwes and their fireplace store continued writing the story of Bromwell’s in Downtown Cincinnati. By the mid-2000s, though, Gary Gerwe decided he was ready to sell the brand. While Bromwell’s recognition was strong, the business had grown tired. He found a prospective buyer and prepared to move on.

  That’s when Bromwell’s third act began.

• 2005

  Jeffrey McClorey moved back to Cincinnati after living in South America for several years. Seeing an upward shift in the economy, he began buying property, including the building Gerwe’s store occupied. He planned to be Bromwell’s landlord.

  But Gerwe’s buyer backed out. Instead of selling, he resolved to close the shop. Bromwell’s, it seemed, was finally coming to an end.

  McClorey, understanding the importance of the Bromwell’s brand, couldn’t let that happen. He purchased the business and hired Gerwe to help him run it. For the third time in 186 years, Bromwell’s belonged to a new family.

• 2026

  In 2026, longtime Bromwell’s General Manager Todd Glacken and his son, Zack Glacken, purchased the company. Together, they brought more than three decades of combined experience with Bromwell’s to their new roles as owners.
  
  And another big change was underway. After more than a century in Downtown Cincinnati, Bromwell’s announced plans to move to Hauck Manor, the historic Hauck summer home in Sharonville.
  
  The larger, historic property gave Bromwell’s room for more fireplace displays and something its downtown home couldn’t offer: significantly more outdoor space. Grills, outdoor kitchens, fire features, patio furniture, pergolas, and other outdoor living products could now become a much bigger part of the Bromwell’s experience.
  
  More than 200 years after Jacob Bromwell first opened his doors, the business has a new family at the helm and a new home for its next act.