Our Foundation in Innovation

In 1895, Duvinage was founded in New York City by Pierre Duvinage, who patented the first spiral metal staircase in the United States. The company remained in New York until 1922 when Mr. Duvinage moved it to Baltimore to focus on producing spiral staircases. In 1928, the Duvinage business was purchased by Albert T. Zentmyer, who ran the Hagerstown Foundry & Machine Works. The company continued to prosper, with newsworthy projects such as a 60-foot spiral staircase for the Triborough Bridge and three 80-foot spiral staircases for the George Washington Bridge.

In the mid 1940s, the Duvinage business was purchased by Wilbur and Mary Sarver, who ran the Maryland Machine & Foundry Works. In 1950, the Sarvers sold the Duvinage division of their business to William C. Wachter, who incorporated it as Duvinage Corporation. Mr. Wachter continued to expand the business, with Duvinage spiral stairs pervasive in theatres, banks, hospitals, schools, and dozens of other applications. Under his leadership, Duvinage produced a 240-foot high spiral staircase for the air shaft of a West Virginia coal mine. Mr. Wachter moved Duvinage to its current location in 1957 and ran it successfully until 1979, when he sold the business to members of the Lorentzen family. In the 1980s, the product line expanded to include custom circular staircases and economical spiral staircase kits.

In 2007, Duvinage was acquired by Key Bridge Partners, a private investment firm, which formed Duvinage LLC. The company weathered the nationwide recession and emerged in a much strengthened position. In 2010, Duvinage added a line of alternating tread stairs, ideal for tight commercial and industrial spaces. In 2012, Duvinage acquired Sharon Stairs from Worthington Industries (NYSE Symbol: WOR). Production work was moved from Akron to Hagerstown and the product line was extended to include Sharon Stairs' unique Drop-In egress stair systems.

Sources: Internal company documents; Maryland Cracker Barrel Magazine Fall 2015 Issue.


Duvinage Catalogs

Historic Clients

Duvinage Customers from the 1920's through the 1940's:


  • Newark International Airport, Newark, NJ
  • Locke Manor Apartments, Canton, NJ
  • Title Guarantee and Trust Co., Brooklyn, NY
  • George Washington Bridge, New York, NY
  • Triboro Bridge, New York, NY
  • Unity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Des Moines, IA
  • Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA
  • Koon Dam, Cumberland, MD
  • Jos. S Finch & Co., Schenley, PA
  • Brentwood Fire Station, St. Louis, MO
  • Trudeau Sanitarium, Saranac Lake, NY
  • Masonic Home, Cockeysville, MD
  • Cincinnati General Hospital, Cincinnati, OH
  • American Rolling Mill, Middletown, CT
  • City Jail, Topeka, KS
  • Sun Oil Co., Marcus Hook, PA
  • Enoch Pratt Library, Baltimore, MD
  • Wright Memorial, Kitty Hawk, NC
  • Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Federal Office Building, San Francisco, CA
  • Fort Shafter, Honolulu, HI
  • Grand River Dam Authority, Vinita, OK
  • Birch-Bartlett Estate, Beverly, MA
  • Public Latin School, Boston, MA
  • The Grace Line (Ship), New York, NY
  • Roxy Theatre, New York, NY
  • Midtown Hudson Tunnel, New York, NY
  • Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
  • New York Dock Company, New York, NY

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