Charles Lockhart (1818-1905)
Oil City, Venango County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
The largest crude oil refiner in Pittsburgh in the 1860s. Lockhart, Frew & Co. merged its seven refineries with Standard Oil in 1874. Lockhart served on the board, managing 80% of US oil refining, transport, and marketing. One of the original firm's offices was here.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Charles Lockhart rose to become Pittsburgh's largest crude oil refiner in the 1860s, a period when the new petroleum industry was transforming western Pennsylvania. In 1874 his firm, Lockhart, Frew & Co., folded its seven refineries into John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, and Lockhart took a seat on the board of a combine that controlled the overwhelming share of American oil refining, transport, and marketing. One of his early offices once stood on this spot.
Why it matters
Lockhart's career traces the birth of Big Oil in the Pennsylvania fields and the consolidation of an industry that reshaped the American economy.
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Related people
- · Charles Lockhart
Related events
- · Standard Oil merger of 1874
Themes & tags
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