Johnson City Foundry & Machine Works, Inc.
Johnson City, Tennessee
The Johnson City Foundry and Machine Works was founded in 1883 in Johnson City, Tennessee, incorporating on April 10th of the following year. The original plant consisted of a machine shop, foundry, and blacksmith shop which were built to make locomotive repairs for the Clinchfield Railroad Company.

In an ad from 1890, the company bills itself as being "fitted with late IMPROVED MACHINERY, and prepared to furnish Mill Gearing of every description, Circular Saw Mills, and all Kinds of Castings: Saw Mills, Mill Carriages, Fronts and Grates, Car Wheels, Hillside Plows, Railroad Castings, Plow Castings, Brass Castings, Cane Mills, Door Sills, Window Sills, Sash Weights, Colums, Street and Ventilating Grates, and Builders Castings Generally. ALL WORK GUARANTEED. Also make Gearing, Pulleys, Chilled and Soft Castings of all Kinds. Belts of all Kinds made to Order. We also repair and build LOCOMOTIVES AND ENGINES of all kinds, and accurately indicate their condition, and do a general Foundry and Machine Shop business, and carry a full stock of pipe fittings.

The company's motto was: "If it's Made of Iron or Steel, Brass or Aluminum, Draw a Picture of It - We'll Build It". Some of the company's other products include structural steel for buildings, ornamental iron work, stairways, pipe rail, fire escapes, boilers, bridges, mining equipment. The company's only branded products were the Johnson City Veneer Slicer and Knife Grinder; all other products were "tailormade to suit the customers need". At some point the company built fire hydrants of other companies' designs, which are shown on this page.

A Johnson City Foundry & Machine advertisement from the 1930s appeared in the Municipal Register.


  Series S Style
Identifying Characteristics: Classic Denis O'brien A.P. Smith "S Series" design.
  • J C F & M and J C Tenn cast on the bonnet.

  • 0254
    Location: Washington, DC


      Kennedy Valve Fig. 1080 hydrant clones
    Identifying Characteristics:
  • Lookalikes of Kennedy Valve Fig. 1080 model hydrants.

  • 0740
    Model: 1 pc. barrel, Cincinnati Spec
    Location: Ed M. collection
    Photo: © 2000, Ed Masminster
    Notes: Appears to be a copy of Kennedy hydrant # 0084



      Traffic Model
    Identifying Characteristics: Similar in looks to the Kennedy K-10 hydrant, with these differences:
  • Hydrant body is taller, larger.
  • Nozzles are bronze screw-in type with large hex drive.
  • There are 4 deep recesses for the bonnet bolts vs. 2 for the K-10
  • The operating nut has an integrated weathershield.
  • Caps are uniquely fluted.
  • There are numerous short flutes around the base of the barrel.
  • See the Johnson City vs K-10 comparison page.
  • 2127
    Model: Traffic
    Nozzles: 2x 2 1/2", 1x 5"
    Date: 1936

    Back to Hydrant Pictures

    Unless otherwise noted, all contents of these WWW pages © 1996-2003, FireHydrant.org