A Bit of HistoryPrior to the 1940s, there were many small stove manufacturers in the US and unfortunately little is known about many of them. I have taken a particular interest in Waterman stoves ever since a friend gave me one. That stove is in our kitchen and we have used it daily for years. I have since acquired another 3-burner Waterman and photographs of others. My only knowledge of the company is that it was located in New York City thanks to my recent discovery of a cast iron stove marked “Henry Waterman & Bro., New York, N.Y., U.S.A.” Thanks to visitor Tony who grew up just around the corner from the Waterman factory, I have a bit more information. The plant was located on Flushing Ave. in Brooklyn near the corner of Onderonk Ave. (see map below) A large factory building remains on the site today. Tony also mentioned that Henry had two brothers… consistent with the markings on some stoves “Waterman & Bro.”  Got Waterman Info?If you happen to have any advertisements or company catalogs, I would like to acquire them or get a scan or photograph. I would also be glad to pay you for copies of them. Please email me with any information that you may have. Thanks. Other ResourcesSee also our Buy/Sell/Parts page as well as our Stove Sites and FAQs pages. PhotographsBelow are photographs of Waterman stoves that I have collected. If you own a model not posted here, please get in touch. I would love to collect and post other photos. ValueMany have asked me what their Waterman stove is worth. Always begin with the most important factor: condition. Condition is critical to value. 99.9% of vintage stoves have been used and have rust in the ovens. They may look presentable but they are not in like-new condition. The big money in vintage stoves is paid for fully restored showroom shiny fancy stoves. Contrast that with the humble Waterman stoves which are fairly plain, and are probably destined for a camp or cottage rather than a trendy suburban home. Most of the stoves shown below in average shape would sell for $50-200, or whatever you can get. Some will require a good marketing effort to find any buyer. The fancier models like #5, #6, #8 or #20 in clean condition with no chips, damage or missing parts could be worth up to about $500. Using Your Vintage StoveThese stoves are of very simple design: gas lines to valves and lines then go to the burners. Assuming everything is fitted up correctly and there are no leaks, you can use them. No electronics to break. Most Waterman stoves do not even have pilot lights so they need to be hand-lit.  CAUTION: Gas can be extremely dangerous and needs to be treated with great respect. If you don’t know what you are doing, hire a professional to make repairs or connect the stove. Comments / FeedbackHead down to the comments section below Waterman Stoves and Parts For SaleSee our separate page on stoves and parts – you can post a listing there if you like. |
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1. This early model Waterman 2 burner turned up
on ebay. It was located on Long Island. |
2. A later model 2-burner Waterman
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3. Four-burner model with faux-marble enamel
side panels. |
4. This four-burner is nearly identical to the one at left. The knob for the oven is different. It’s identical to the 4-burner in our kitchen. |
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5. I purchased this light blue and tan enamel
stove in 2005 in Pennsylvania. The owner had brought it over from his parent’s house in New Jersey. |
6. This Waterman 4-burner was auctioned on
ebay in spring 2006 by some folks in NJ. A beauty! |
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7. A fellow Waterman stove enthusiast submitted this photo. Two burners on the right. Not sure if it originally had legs or was meant to be a built-in model.
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8. Here is a yellow enamel Waterman Stove submitted by a visitor to this site. Four burners on the right side. How the heck many models did this company make? |
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| 9. Here is a little camp or laboratory single burner unit which is marked Hercules No 12 – H Waterman NY | 10. Label from yellow enamel stove above marked “Waterman / New York City” |
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| 11. “Big Bertha” large model kitchen stove – photo provided by visitor to this webpage. | |
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| 12. Two-burner tabletop model | 13. Closeup of serial number on tabletop model at left showing “Henry Waterman & Bro. Corp. / Brooklyn 37 NY USA” |
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| 14. Boxy three-burner created after dispensing with the Asthetics Dept. | 15. A different four-burner with bandy legs in chrome + black submitted by visitor to site |
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| 16. This one got painted somewhere along the way… | 17. Another tabletop model – seen on ebay. |
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| 18. Waterman stove pic submitted by visitor Matt S | 19. Waterman Ideal logo |
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| 22. Waterman Model 25 | 23. — |
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