The Monumental Bronze Company of Bridgeport

Written by Leah Marie, 14 August 2026.

In 1874, Wilson, Parsons and Company (later Schuyler, Parsons, Landon and Company) began manufacturing zinc grave markers (and some public monuments) in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In 1879 the company incorporated as the Monumental Bronze Company. The enterprise manufactured monuments of various sizes and designs made of "white bronze" (actually zinc) from 1874 until 1914. To create these memorials, zinc plates were cast and sand-blasted to create a matte finish resembling stone. The surface was then covered with linseed oil and hit with high pressure steam, a process called “steam bluing", to create a blue-gray color. These monuments are hollow, with plates that bolt together from the inside. The plates can easily be removed if alterations or additions are desired. The Monumental Bronze Company produced a catalogue with different monuments to choose from and additional decorative elements that could be added. You can still peruse the company's 1882 catalogue. The Monumental Bronze Company stopped manufacturing the memorials in 1914 to produce munitions for WWI. Afterward, tastes had changed and these "cheap" monuments were considered inelegant, and many cemeteries banned metal grave markers. The company completely folded in 1939.

A benefit  of these zinc memorials is that, when left exposed, the zinc forms a coating of zinc carbonate, which is rust resistant and does not host the lichen and moss which prey on traditional stone and marble markers. These markers were also inexpensive - a small memorial could sell for as little as six dollars (compared to 1882, that is about $206.00 in 2026). Unfortunately, time has not been kind to all of these monuments. Shifting earth beneath the markers, and their resistance to expand and contract in various types of weather, have caused some to crack and shatter. 

Today, these markers are known to taphophiles as "zinkies". In a recent post in a Facebook group dedicated to zinkies, a person lamented that these monuments are hard to find. I disagree - perhaps it is dependent on the geographic region in which you are searching -  but in southwest Connecticut, they are in abundance. Following are photos of several types of zinkies that I have found locally. 

Sources:

"Zinkies". Save the Graves.

"Monumental Bronze Company". ConnecticutHistory.org

The Monumental Bronze Company factory in Bridgeport on the corner of Hallett Street and Barnum Avenue.

Cutler's Farm and Elm Street Cemetery, Monroe (front and back)

This is design no. 182 in the 1882 catalogue. It sold for $96.00 (about $3,310.00 in 2026).

Long Hill Burial Ground, Trumbull (front and back)

The two photos, above, and the following three show photos of a monument set are for the same couple. In the next photo, you can see where the monument is inscribed with "Monumental Bronze Co. Bridgeport, CT."

Botsford Cemetery, Newtown (front and back)

Taunton Cemetery, Newtown (front and back)

All photos copyright by the author, 2026. Not to be used or reproduced without permission.

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