The Oldest Business in Every U.S. State (2024)

Alabama1836Bromberg’sMobileJewelry StoreThis jewelry store was opened by Prussian immigrant Frederick Bromberg just 18 years after Alabama achieved statehood.Alaska1867Alaska Commercial CompanystatewideGeneral StoreThis company can trace its roots back to Catherine the Great of Russia, who gave trading rights to the company's predecessor in 1776.Arizona1877The Palace Restaurant and SaloonPrescottRestaurant/BarThis saloon was allegedly a favorite of Wyatt and Virgil Earp as well as their friend Doc Holliday.Arkansas1820Rose Law FirmLittle RockLaw FirmRose Law was founded 16 years before Arkansas became a state and remains the third-oldest law firm in the U.S.California1849DucommunSanta AnaManufacturingThis company, which originally started out as a general store, became a metal distributor during the first two world wars and now provides materials to NASA.Colorado1857R&R MarketSan LuisGeneral Store Founded 19 years before Colorado became a state, this historic market is a popular spot for tourists to take photos.Connecticut1639Field View FarmOrangeFarmThis farm is the fourth-oldest business in the U.S. and has been owned and operated by the Hine family for 12 generations.Delaware1802DuPontWilmingtonManufacturingDuPont originally was a gunpowder mill and is now one of the world's largest chemical manufacturers.Florida1851Pensacola Hardware Co.PensacolaHardware StoreThis hardware store has survived a fire and location changes but continues to thrive due to its customer service and resilience.Georgia1753The Pirates' HouseSavannahRestaurant/BarIt's a common belief that The Pirates' House is featured in Robert Louis Stevenson's famous adventure novel "Treasure Island."Hawaii1849Amfac Inc.HonoluluGeneral StoreAmfac first started as a dry goods store and sugar business. Now, it's a coffee farm and land development company known as Kaanapali Land LLC.Idaho1865Joyce Livestock Co.MurphyFarmThe Joyce-Nettleton family has owned this 11,000-acre cattle ranch for five generations.Illinois1837C.D. Peaco*ckChicagoJewelry StoreThis jewelry store managed to survive the Great Chicago Fire in 1871 and has many locations across the city.Indiana1836Register PublicationsLawrenceburgNewspaperRegister Publications owns several newspapers, including the Dearborn County Register and the Journal Press.Iowa1852Breitbach's Country DiningBalltownRestaurant/BarThis restaurant, which opened under a federal permit issued by President Millard Fillmore, was destroyed in and rebuilt after two back-to-back fires.Kansas1855Davis Funeral ChapelLeavenworthFuneral HomeThis funeral home has hosted some of the most notorious criminals in the area, including mobsters Bugs Moran of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. Other notables include murderers Richard Hickok and Perry Smith of “In Cold Blood” fame.Kentucky1795Jim Beam DistilleryClermontDistilleryJim Beam is one of the most popular bourbon companies in the world and has been in operation since George Washington was president.Louisiana1772Lafitte’s Blacksmith ShopNew OrleansRestaurant/BarThe building, which dates back to New Orleans's Spanish Colonial period, is rumored to have been used by Jean and Pierre Lafitte for their smuggling operation in the late 1700s.Maine1667Seaside InnKennebunkHotelThe Seaside Inn is one of the oldest businesses in America, and guests have full access to Kennebunk Beach.Maryland1750Middleton TavernAnnapolisRestaurant/BarThis historic tavern was frequented by members of the Continental Congress on such occasions as Gen. George Washington's commission and the ratification of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War.Massachusetts1642Barker’s Farm StandNorth AndoverFarmBarker's Farm Stand features locally grown produce and is still owned by the Barker family.Michigan1828George Jerome & Co.DetroitCivil EngineeringThis civil engineering company was a major player in Detroit's development as a city and is still owned by the family.Minnesota1886Fred W. Radde & SonsNew GermanyAuctioneerSince its founding, Fred W. Radde & Sons has specialized in live auctions, but it has since added online, phone, and proxy bidding.Mississippi1789King’s TavernNatchezRestaurant/BarKing's Tavern is considered to be the most haunted restaurant in Mississippi. Three skeletons were found behind the establishment's fireplace in the 1930s.Missouri1842O’Malley’s PubWestonRestaurant/BarThe pub is now part of the Weston Brewing Co., which still uses the more-than-50-foot-deep beer cellar for its operations.Montana1863Bale of Hay SaloonVirginia CityRestaurant/BarThis business was a grocery and liquor store until it became a saloon in 1890.Nebraska1857First National BankOmahaBankWhen the Kountze Brothers originally opened the bank, they mainly traded in gold dust and buffalo hides.Nevada1853Genoa BarGenoaRestaurant/BarThe location still includes some of the original features, including half of the bar and a red oil lamp that is lit once a year on New Year's Eve.New Hampshire1632Tuttle’s Red BarnDoverFarmThis farm and country store was founded by John Tuttle when he arrived in the U.S. with a land grant from Charles II of England. The original 20-acre farm now has 134 acres.New Jersey1720Barnsboro InnSewellRestaurant/BarOwner John Barnes, whom the inn is named for, petitioned the Gloucester County Court to license his residence as a tavern and then began taking in guests.New Mexico1835El FarolSanta FeRestaurant/BarOriginally known as La Cantina del Cañon, El Farol is a popular destination that hosts dinner shows featuring dancers from the National Institute of Flamenco.New York1680Saunderskill FarmAccordFarmThe 300 acres of this historic location have been continuously farmed since 1680.North Carolina1784Tavern in Old SalemSalemRestaurant/BarThe Tavern in Old Salem is known for its Moravian chicken pie, as the Salem area was home to many Moravian immigrants in the 1700s.North Dakota1873The Bismarck TribuneBismarckNewspaperThis newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in 1938 for its series titled "Self-Help in the Dust Bowl."Ohio1803The Golden LambLebanonRestaurant/BarThroughout the years, The Golden Lamb has hosted 12 U.S. presidents, including John Quincy Adams.Oklahoma1892BC Clark JewelersOklahoma CityJewelry StoreOklahoma residents know BC Clark for its iconic holiday jingle that's featured in ads for five weeks starting on Thanksgiving evening. The store claims that it may be the longest-running jingle in the country.Oregon1849Van Dusen BeveragesAstoriaBeverage BottlerThis business first opened as a general store and now bills itself as the world's smallest Pepsi bottler.Pennsylvania1732The Rowland CompanyPhiladelphiaManufacturingThe Rowland Company started out manufacturing shovels and has since become a manufacturer of industrial power transmission products.Rhode Island1696Kenyon’s Grist MillUsquepaughMillKenyon’s still uses its 1880s-era stone grinder to turn grain and corn into flour and meal.South Carolina1778McCrady’s Tavern and Long RoomCharlestonRestaurant/BarMcCrady's has been a fixture of the Charleston social scene for centuries. It's rumored that George Washington once enjoyed a 30-course meal at the establishment.South Dakota1883Look's MarketSioux FallsRestaurant/BarThe market was originally a meat counter but now also sells baked goods, cheese, and beer. It also has a restaurant.Tennessee1842Austin and Bell Funeral HomeTurnersvilleFuneral HomeOriginally a cabinet shop that also made caskets, it now has multiple locations across the state.Texas1843Imperial SugarSugar LandSugar ProducerThe city of Sugar Land, the company's headquarters, takes its name from the oldest business in Texas, which has been producing sugar for more than a century.Utah1850The Deseret NewsSalt Lake CityNewspaper This newspaper takes the name "deseret" from the word for "honeybee" in the Book of Mormon.Vermont1799Fort Ticonderoga FerryShorehamFerry BoatThis is the oldest ferry operation in the U.S. and has been taking people from Shoreham, Vermont, to Ticonderoga, New York, for more than 200 years.Virginia1613Shirley PlantationCharles CityFarmShirley Plantation is considered to be the oldest business in the United States and was recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1970.Washington1855Laird Norton Co.SeattleWealth ManagementThis company started as a frontier logging operation and has been a family-operated wealth management company for seven generations.West Virginia1778The GreenbrierWhite Sulphur SpringsHotelThe Greenbrier is a luxury resort that has hosted 26 U.S. presidents over the years, including Dwight D. Eisenhower.Wisconsin1845Minhas Craft BreweryMonroeBreweryMinhas is the oldest brewery in the Midwest and the second-oldest in the U.S. The brewery survived the Great Depression, Prohibition, and a fire.Wyoming1862Miners and Stockmen’s SteakhouseHartvilleRestaurant/BarWhile Hartville now has fewer than 100 residents, in the 1800s, it was a booming mining town. People would secretly gather together in the building's basem*nt to drink during Prohibition.