William Frishmuth

Who was William Frishmuth?

William Frishmuth was a German-born American architect and metallurgist.

William Frishmuth was born Johan Wilhelm Gottfreid Frishmuth in Coburg, Germany in 1830. Aluminum is a metal not found in a pure state in nature. The first patent for refining aluminum by electrolysis was granted to Friedrich Wöhler of Germany. Frishmuth studied with Wohler in Germany before coming to America.

In 1855 he settled in Philadelphia and became a US citizen. He established the Frishmuth Foundry in Philadelphia, an aluminum foundry, believed to be the only aluminum foundry in the US at the time.

In 1861 Frishmuth became a special secret agent to the War Department at the request of Abraham Lincoln. On 5 November 1861, he received authority from President Lincoln, which was confirmed by Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania, to raise a cavalry regiment. In 1862 the regiment was raised for active service, and was commissioned a colonel. He was colonel of the 113th Regiment, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry until April 20, 1862.

In 1876 he produced the first authenticated aluminum castings made in America at his Philadelphia foundry He used a chemical process, unlike the electrolytic processes used today. One of the first castings he produced was an engineer's transit. The foundry was declared an ASM Historical Landmark in 1985.