Henry A. Lee was a partner in the Worcester carpentry firm Dennis & Lee when, in 1863, Lee patented a moulding machine of advanced design for that era. Within a year or two the firm of H. A. Lee was manufacturing moulding machines. Dennis & Lee continued in business for many years after that, even though the moulding machine business appeared to be quite successful. H. A. Lee continued making moulding machines well into the 1880s.

Advertisement from the 1871 Worcester Directory

Information Sources

• The Massachusetts Register for the Year 1853 lists "Dennis & Lee, Worcester" under Carpenters.
• Ad in 1865 Scientific American for "The Union Molding Machine - Best in use. For circulars address H. A. Lee, patentee, Worcester, Mass."
• Henry J. Howland's Worcester Directory for 1869 lists "Dennis & Lee, 56 Union" under "Carpenters and Builders".
• A mention in an 1873 Manufacturer & Builder reads, "H. A. Lee ... claims to have reached, after ten years spent in perfecting his patent molding machine, as high a degree of adaptation to the needs of the manufacturer as is possible under all circumstances."
• Dennis & Lee was listed in the 1874 work, Wiley's American iron trade manual of the leading iron industries of the United States as a maker of "moulding machines". This otherwise useful book has a fair number of errors in it, and this appears to be one of them as we are certain it should be H. A. Lee, not Dennis & Lee.
• From ad in 1875 Manufacturer & Builder.
• Drew, Allis & Co.'s Worcester Directory for 1885 lists "Dennis & Lee (S. B. Dennis and H. A. Lee), pattern makers, 164 Union". Also "Dennis Samuel B. (Dennis & Lee) 164 Union, house 122 Pleasant". Henry A. Lee's residence was listed as "4 Crown". The 1884 listings were the same.
• Henry A. Lee of Worcester received various patents related to moulding machines and planing machines. The patents we have found so far were issued in the years 1863 through 1871, plus one from 1887.