Broadaxe (broad ax)
Eastern Pennsylvania
1840-1880
Maker
William M. Beatty & Son (1839-1924)
Measurements
25 in x 9 in x 1-1/2 in
Materials
Steel and ash
Credit Line
Historic Odessa Foundation, The David Wilson Mansion, Inc.
Accession Number
1971.908
Inscription
“W. BEATTY / & SON / CAST STEEL / 3” is stamped into one face of the ax head.
Condition Notes
The handle has a partial split immediately below the ax head.
Provenance
Ex coll. Mrs. E. Tatnall (Mary Corbit) Warner
Comments
The broadaxe is a short-handled ax used for shaping logs into beams by hewing. Accordingly, the ax has a very broad head. The tool is used in one hand.
The maker, William M. Beatty & Son, was established in 1839. William Beatty died in 1843, but the business was carried on by his sons, who operated it from several locations in and around Philadelphia, and eventually in Chester. The company was acquired in 1905 by John B. Black Co. and continued under the Beatty name until 1924.
