After Matthew Griswold and the Selden brothers began making cast iron pans in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1865, they went on to enjoy decades of soaring success. Stovetops became a standard fixture in kitchens across the United States, and the flat-bottomed cast iron skillet was an essential.
But with the arrival of aluminum and stainless steel in the early 20th century, the writing was on the wall. The golden age of cast iron cookware came to an end, and original Griswold pans and their like became coveted collectors’ items. Only in recent years have modern cooks embraced cast iron once again—with one Charleston, South Carolina, company at the forefront of the movement.
