The History of Door Stops

For most of human history, door stops were simply rocks. The first American door stop was created by a Black inventor named Osburn Dorsey in 1878. While some other door stops had already begun to crop up at the time, they were European in origin and were mostly used to encourage better air circulation throughout large buildings. Most of these European doorstops were cast brass. American-made cast iron door stops began to show up around 1900, just a few decades after Dorsey's invention debuted. Some of the earliest manufacturers included Albany Foundry, Bradley & Hubbard, Hubley, and Wilton Products. Subjects included animals, birds, buildings, flowers, ships, and people. Most of these early door stops retailed for a few dollars. Today, door stops are still affordable, but are much more utilitarian. However, ornate vintage door stops are frequently sought after by avid collectors and rare pieces can command surprisingly high prices on the antique market.