Who We Are & Our History
W.F. Sherman & Son, Inc. is a family owned and operated custom architectural millwork business located in Manasquan, NJ. We offer a variety of services. We have been serving our community since 1878. Our business is open to the public. Whether you are an architect, builder, contractor, designer, homeowner or hobbyist we are here to help you with your millwork projects.
Don Sherman Jr keeps the family millwork tradition alive by helping his grandchildren.
W.F. Sherman & Son, Inc
HISTORY
The earliest family history we know of is that of John Sherman. John owned property in Upper Freehold that adjoined with Modica Lincoln’s (Abraham Lincoln’s grandfather). John’s son, Samuel L. Sherman, born in 1815 lived off of Ramshorn Drive. Among his endeavors was the task of turning porch posts on a foot-powered lathe and making articles of furniture.
Samuel and his wife, Ann, later lived on Marcellus Avenue and had eleven children, one of their children, John Britton Sherman, was a carpenter who served with company “A”, 38th regiment infantry, in the civil war. John lived with his wife, Jane, on South Street in Manasquan. They had four children; Burt, Wilfred, Nelson, and Jenny. Jane was a sister to William P. Taylor.
When he was younger, William P. Taylor, drove a stage from Squan Village to Red Bank where the passengers would continue on to New York by boat. As a young man he had an interest in woodworking and would often deliver his goods on the stage run. His affinity for woodworking led to the opening of William P. Taylor’s Saw Mill in 1878.
Sadly, Jane Sherman passed away in 1897. Her son, Wilfred Sherman, was twelve years old. Wilfred went to live with his uncle, William P. Taylor. His brothers and sisters were sent to live with different families. This unfortunate chain of events led to Wilfred Sherman’s apprenticeship in the woodworking industry. He worked with his uncle from the age of twelve until Mr. Taylor’s death in 1929.
During Mr. Taylor’s ownership of the mill, he had witnessed the complete destruction of the building by fire in 1911 and additional fire damage in 1929. Upon his death in 1929, the mill was purchased by his nephew and apprentice, Wilfred Sherman. Wilfred remodeled the building between 1930 and 1934. In 1935 his son, Lee Sherman, joined the business and the name was changed to W.F. Sherman & Son.
In 1951, Lee’s son, Donald Sherman became partners with his father and they continued as W.F. Sherman & Son until they incorporated in 1970. It is currently known as W.F. Sherman & Son, Inc. Nowadays, Donald Sherman has retired and his sons Donald Jr and Alan have continued to run the business.
