Virginia Metalcrafters had its first beginnings with the founding of the Waynesboro Stove Company in 1890 by William J. Loth. The enterprise moved in 1941 from its initial location in Waynesboro to an existing industrial complex built in 1925. The company expanded and occupied the complex until its closing in 2006. Within the tradition of American decorative arts, the company built a reputation for high-quality historic reproductions of authentic designs and products. These were hand cast in bronze, iron, aluminum, brass, and pewter, using sandcasting, a method similar to what colonial-era craftsmen practiced. Nationwide many museums and historic sites—including Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Monticello, Smithsonian Institute, Old Salem, Old Sturbridge Village, among others—relied on Virginia Metalcrafters for product lines that provided retail income. Before the company went out of business, it had artistically crafted a wide selection of gift products, decorative accessories, lamps and chandeliers, garden accessories, sculptures, kitchen accessories, and more.