Established in 1796 by watchmaker and silversmith John McFarlane, the company is one of the oldest jewelry stores in North America. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

The present-day Shreve, Crump & Low is the last of a line of firms that began with John McFarlane, who opened a workshop across the street from Paul Revere . In the 1800s, the firm changed its name to Shreve's. In 1869 the firm of Shreve, Crump & Low was formed by merger. ^[1]

Shreve, Crump & Low remained at their original location until their property was destroyed in the Great Boston Fire of 1872 . Its new location at 225 Washington Street pioneered the use of plate glass and artificial lighting in a retail establishment. This Italianate building had showcases of black walnut trimmed with holly and ebony . ^{[1] [2]}

A relocation in 1891 brought Shreve, Crump & Low to its largest building, a six stories high Italian Renaissance style edifice of limestone and marble designed by Henry Forbes Bigelow . ^[6] In 1929, Shreve, Crump & Low moved to 330 Boylston Street, one of the earliest examples of art deco architecture in New England . ^[1] In 2006, under the ownership of local jeweler, David Walker, the firm opened a new store in Boston’s Back Bay at the corner of Boylston and Berkeley Streets.

Shreve's has also sold antiques, imported fine linen and stationery , and exhibited artifacts from Ancient Greece and Rome . Shreve, Crump & Low is known for classic fine jewelry and timepieces, tableware, and Boston-themed gifts.

In 1974, Shreve, Crump & Low opened a second location at The Mall at Chestnut Hill ^[2] and it closed in 2009. In May 2012, the Boylston Street store relocated to 39 Newbury Street, Boston.

In 2014, another store was opened in Greenwich, CT .

• In 1835, orator and Massachusetts State Senator Daniel Webster was presented with a 400-ounce silver vase from this firm that was later donated to the Boston Public Library . ^[1]
• In 1840, Samuel Cunard was given a 30-inch Shreve's cup for helping to finance the RMS Britannia , the first steamship to travel between Liverpool and Boston. ^[1]
• In 1848, trustees of the Massachusetts General Hospital presented William Thomas Green Morton with a Shreve's silver box for discovering anesthetic ether . ^[1]
• In 1863, General George B. McClellan received a silver Shreve's box for his efforts in the American Civil War . ^[1]
• In the 1870s, Shreve, Crump & Low began working in semi-precious metals, creating the chandelier and sounding board for Trinity Church, Boston and lighting for the Old South Church and the Parker House Hotel . ^[1]
• In 1874 Shreve, Crump & Low installed lighting inlaid with semi precious stones in the Library Restaurant in the Rockingham Hotel showcasing one of the finest examples of the neo-colonial architecture of its time.
• In the 1880s, the firm provided lighting fixtures for patrons outside of Boston including the city hall in Providence, Rhode Island and King Kalakaua 's Iolani Palace in Honolulu . ^[1]
• In 1899, a Harvard University tennis player named Dwight F. Davis purchased a huge trophy from Shreve's to be awarded to the winner of a tournament to which they challenged a team from the United Kingdom . The prize is now known as the Davis Cup. ^[2]
• In 1908, Shreve's created an elaborate silver cup to honor Boston Red Sox hero Cy Young . After the pitcher 's death in 1955 this became the Cy Young Award. ^[2]

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