Kenneth Lynch & Sons Celebrates 95 Years!

We are excited to announce that Kenneth Lynch & Sons is celebrating 95 years in business! It all began in 1927 with the unique and sought after metal craft of our grandfather, Mr. Kenneth Lynch. Since then, our third-generation family company has continued to grow in its craftsmanship and expertise. Today, Kenneth Lynch & Sons has grown to three collections of fine outdoor furniture and garden ornamentation: Lynch Urban Seating, Estate Elements, and Florentine Classics.
Our products can be found on luxury estates, classic home gardens, and public parks and streetscapes across the country. While the materials we use have shifted over the years the dedication to quality in craftsmanship has not.

How It All Began

Our history begins with Mr. Kenneth Lynch, born in 1906 in New Haven, Connecticut. He left home in his early teens to join the Cavalry and quickly became an accomplished Farrier. A Colonel in his Cavalry division took notice of his talents and arranged for Lynch to be sent to Germany for training in fine metal craft and armor.

Mr. Kenneth Lynch was a very skilled craftsman and was hired to work on many prestigious projects, including the Statue of Liberty and the Chrysler Building.

By the age of 19, Lynch was back in the United States and was making a name for himself in the ornamental metal work arena. Collectors, enthusiasts, and movie houses were soon commissioning armor. It was this work that brought him to some of his greatest achievements, including working on repair of the Statue of Liberty and crafting the Heroic Eagles on the Chrysler Building.

Kenneth Lynch & Sons was established in 1927 after Lynch completed his apprenticeship in ornamental ironwork in Europe.

Collaboration with the New York City Parks Department

By 1927, Kenneth Lynch opened his first ornamental ironwork shop in Manhattan and Long Island City, New York. He then began working with the New York City Parks Commissioner, Robert Moses, on re-designing a bench in preparation for the World’s Fair that was to be held in New York in 1938 and 1939. Lynch and Moses collaborated in creating a comfortable design that would also use advances in iron casting techniques to facilitate the mass production of hundreds of benches.

The iconic 1939 World’s Fair Bench is a timeless design that is still produced today and can be found in parks nationwide. View our Urban Seating Collection for our full line of bench designs and accessories.

 The 1939 World's Fair Bench is still one of the most popular bench designs to date and can be found in parks across the country.

The Move to Connecticut

Shortly after the completion of the work for the 1939 World’s Fair, Lynch moved his operations to Wilton, CT, a location he later touted to architects as ‘a profitable hour from New York City.’ It was in Wilton that Lynch raised his four children Patricia, Winifred, Michael and Timothy. Michael and Timothy were both trained in the metal working trades by working alongside their father and the skilled craftsmen he employed.

Inspiration from Italian Classic Gardens

By the 1950’s, Lynch began collecting and producing all types of ornaments with a heavy emphasis on Italian Carved Limestone. It was his idea to make available the beautiful artistry of hand carved statuary to the general public by offering the items in a less expensive material. In 1966, Lynch’s catalog of garden ornamentation catapulted the firm to nationwide recognition as the leader of cast stone items. This catalog proved a worthy resource for many years and it still graces the shelves of many established architecture and landscape design firms today. 

You can view cast stone garden products in our Estate Elements Collection.

“Everything we can think of has been done to make your garden ornaments last forever and we are so pleased when people tell us of ornaments which came from the Lynch family and which have been in use now for more than 100 years. This is a great reward.” - Kenneth Lynch

Transitions and Expansions

Over the years, Lynch’s youngest son, Timothy, began working full time at the company. Timothy’s experience and hands-on knowledge from growing up in the business and his education in engineering prepared him to become a valuable leader. In 1980, Timothy began working far more regularly with the New York City Parks Department landscape architects, partnering on the design and fabrication of additional products such as picnic tables, game tables, and bicycle racks. By 1988, Timothy took over the company after an eleven year apprenticeship where he learned first-hand the craftsmanship and excellence required to create fine quality work.

In 2007, Kenneth Lynch & Sons moved to Oxford, CT and soon purchased the assets of Florentine Craftsmen in 2011. With that purchase, Kenneth Lynch & Sons became the sole producer of ornamental lead in the United States. The addition of the Florentine Classics Collection of aluminum garden furniture was an easy transition for Kenneth Lynch & Sons thanks to decades of expertise in fine metal welding.

Timothy Lynch before the installation of the refurbished Wilton Congregational Church Weathervane.

Into the future

The ownership of Kenneth Lynch & Sons moved to the third Lynch generation in 2012. Timothy Lynch passed the business to his second oldest daughter, Maria Lynch Dumoulin. Maria had held various roles in the company since 1995 and was well versed in all divisions enabling an easy transition. Maintaining the dynamics of the family business, Maria’s husband Derrick Dumoulin, has been involved since 2001. The company continues to grow and prosper thanks to its talented team of employees and its dedicated customers.

"The greatest complement our company can receive is to hear of the joy which our garden ornaments have given a family over generations. Statues given as wedding gifts and sundials as anniversary milestones connect us to families across the country." - Maria Lynch Dumoulin

Kenneth Lynch & Sons' third-generation owner, Maria Lynch Dumoulin, continues to operate the family company in  Oxford, Connecticut.

Explore Our Collections:

Urban Seating Collection of park benches
Estate Elements Collection of garden ornaments
Florentine Classics Collection of fine outdoor furniture