The New England Wireless and Steam Museum

The company was originally known as Fairbanks, Clark & Co. in the 1830s. In 1843 it was renamed Fairbanks, Bancroft & Co. when Edward Bancroft joined the company. In 1846 it was renamed Bancroft, Nightingale & Co. when Corliss joined the company, and in 1847 it was renamed Corliss, Nightingale and Co. In 1848 the company moved to the location shown in the images above at the Charles Street Railroad Crossing. In 1857 the company was renamed for the last time to Corliss Steam Engine Company. By 1864 Corliss bought out his partners and was the sole owner of the company. George H. Corliss' house can be seen in the middle letter-head behind the factory to the right. In 1900 the Corliss Steam Engine Company was purchased by the International Power Company. The fourth image above shows the factory in 1904. In 1905 it was purchased by the American and British Manufacturing Company. In 1925 the company merged into Franklin Machine Company. By then Franklin Machine Company already owned the William A. Harris Steam Engine Company.

I visited the site in March of 2001. The site of the factory is now the parking lot for the Providence Post office. I did see a building that looks like it could be the original boiler shop. I will investigate further. The overhead image above shows the factory site in 1995.

Patents:
6,161 Machine for Cutting Cogs of Bevel Cog-Wheels, March 10, 1849
6,162 Cut-Off and Working the Valves of Steam-Engines, March 10, 1849
8,148 Governor, June 10, 1851
8,253 Steam Cut-Off, July 29, 1851
14,483 Press for Punching, March 25, 1856
17,423 Steam Pumping Apparatus, Jun 2 1857
18,136 Metallic Packing for Pistons of Steam-Engines, September 8, 1857
24,618 Steam Engine (Rotary Valves), July 5, 1859
85,566 Improvement in Steam-Pressure Regulators, January 5, 1869
117,386 Improvement in Journal-Boxes, July 25, 1871
177,059 Valve-Gear for Steam-Engines, May 9, 1876
177,099 Improvement in Exhaust-Valve Gears, May 9, 1876
177,377 Improvement in Governor for Air-Pump Engines, May 16, 1876
190,958 Air-Pump Connections for Steam-Engines, May 22, 1877
215,797 Valve-Gear for Steam-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,798 Improvement in Tubular Steam Boilersm May 27, 1879
215,799 Improvement in Compound Steam-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,800 Improvement in Pump-Valves, May 27, 1879
215,801 Improvement in Pump-Plungers, May 27, 1879
215,802 Improvement in Steam Pumping-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,803 Improvement in Pumping-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,804 Improvement in Pumping-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,805 Improvement in Fly-Wheels, May 27, 1879
215,806 Improvement in Exhaust-Valves for Steam-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,807 Improvement in Cylinders of Steam-Engines, May 27, 1879
215,808 Improvement in Beams for Steam Engines, May 27, 1879
215,884 Improvement in Valve-Gears for Steam-Engines, May 27, 1879
235,742 Pump, December 21, 1880
235,743 Pump, December 21, 1880
235,744 Valve-Gear for Steam-Engines, December 21, 1880
235,745 Framing of Beam Steam-Engines, December 21, 1880
235,746 Condenser and Feed Heater, December 21, 1880
235,747 Valve-Seat for Pumps, December 21, 1880
324,459 Governor for Steam-Engines, August 18, 1885
333,831 Dash-Pot, January 5, 1886
333,832 Stuffing-Box for Steam-Engines, January 5, 1886
333,833 Steam Boiler, January 5, 1886
333,834 Governor Regulator, January 5, 1886
333,835 Steam-Engine Governor, January 5, 1886
388,264 Cylinder Relief Valve, August 21, 1888
388,265 Steam-Engine Valve, August 21, 1888
406,091 Adjustment of Gibs of Cross-Heads of Steam-Engines, Junl 2, 1889
450,397 Method of Treating the Cylinders of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
450,398 Machine for Finishing the Ends of Cylinders of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
450,399 Machine for Finishing Side Flanges of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
450,400 Machine for Finishing the Ends of Valve Boxes of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
450,401 Machine for Boring the Cylinders of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
450,402 Machine for Boring the Valve Boxes of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
450,403 Machine for Fitting the Exhaust-Valve Boxes of Steam-Engines, April 14, 1891
466,488 Governor for Steam-Engines, January 5, 1892
483,643 Steam-Engine Governor, October 4, 1892

Corliss' most famous engine was the Centenial Engine that powered the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, PA.

Corliss Spider 5 Cylinder Radial Water Pumping Engine, Hope Pumping Station, Providence, RI. ca. 1873.

The Museum has the only George H. Corliss engine running under steam.