Fire at Old Factory In Manchester Prompts Reflections On A Product That Hatched Into A Household Name

MANCHESTER, CT — As fire officials investigate the cause of a raging fire that prompted a popular hobby store to suspend operations for the time being at 71 and 75 Hilliard St., the old factory building is still remembered for housing a product that was well ahead of its time.

Long before modern household cleaning products filled store shelves nationwide, one of America’s best-known cleansers had its roots in Manchester, where the iconic Bon Ami brand helped establish the town as an early manufacturing hub in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

According to historical records compiled by local historian Jim Hall and distributed by the Manchester Historical Society, Bon Ami cleanser — marketed with its famous slogan, “Hasn’t scratched yet” — became one of Manchester’s most recognizable industrial products alongside the silk manufacturing empire of the Cheney Brothers.

The product was created by entrepreneur J.T. Robertson, who began manufacturing what he called a “mineral soap” in Glastonbury in 1885. The cleanser featured a newly hatched chick as its trademark, a symbol that would become synonymous with the brand for generations.

Seeking additional financial backing, Robertson formed the J.T. Robertson Company and relocated operations to Manchester in 1891. Production began in a former grist mill near the intersection of Oakland and North Main streets, where the company employed just a handful of workers and produced a line of products that included shaving and toilet soaps.

The business gained momentum in 1893 when Manchester businessman William H. Childs recognized the commercial potential of the cleanser and partnered with New York businessman W.H.H. Childs to market the product. The pair formed Childs & Childs and secured a five-year option to purchase manufacturing rights from Robertson’s company.

An aggressive national advertising campaign helped fuel rapid growth, transforming Bon Ami into a household name. After exercising the purchase option, the partners created the Bon Ami Company to oversee distribution and established the Orford Soap Company as the manufacturing operation.

The company faced a major setback in 1899 when its original Oakland Street factory was destroyed by fire. Operations were soon relocated to a larger manufacturing facility on Hilliard Street that had previously housed the Mather Company.

Expansion continued rapidly. By 1903, the company occupied the entire former Mather plant, with several additions constructed in the following years to meet growing demand.

By 1924, according to “The History of Manchester, Connecticut” by Mathias Spiess and Percy Bidwell, the Orford Soap Company’s plant carried an assessed value of $622,000 and employed approximately 150 workers, making it one of Manchester’s significant industrial employers.

At the time, the Bon Ami Company had grown into a corporation capitalized at $3.5 million and operated manufacturing facilities in both the United States and Canada.

Historians credit much of the company’s success to William H. Childs, whose belief in the product and commitment to large-scale advertising helped transform Bon Ami from a small Connecticut manufacturing venture into a nationally recognized brand.

Following the death of founder J.T. Robertson in 1922, his son, William W. Robertson, assumed leadership of factory operations as superintendent, continuing the family’s role in one of Manchester’s most enduring industrial success stories.

The Bon Ami brand remains one of the notable chapters in Manchester’s manufacturing history, reflecting the town’s role as a center of innovation and industrial growth during Connecticut’s economic expansion in the late 19th century.

It is now headquartered in Kansas City, MO.

In the 21st Century, a look at Amazon finds these Bon Ami facts and products:

• Classic Powder Cleanser: The flagship product relies on a gentle blend of feldspar, limestone, and baking soda. It is free of chlorine bleach, perfumes, and dyes, making it hypoallergenic and safe for family and pets.
• Cleaning Cake: To celebrate its 125th anniversary, the company reintroduced its original 1886 cleaning cake, designed to be rubbed with a damp cloth for polishing glass, mirrors, and metal.
• Liquid & Cream Cleaners: Expanding past just powder, the 21st-century lineup includes baking soda cream cleansers and liquid formulations for everyday kitchen and bath cleaning.
• Eco-Friendly Focus: In an era prioritizing sustainability, Bon Ami emphasizes renewable plant-based cleaning agents derived from corn, coconut, and palm oils.