In the 1950s, Charles Manoog began collecting antique commodes, claw-foot tubs, ornate sinks, and other plumbing items. In 1979, his son Russell established the American Sanitary Plumbing Museum for these items in Worcester, Massachusetts. After their retirement, Russell and his wife Bettejane went in search of a family organization to carry on the stewardship of the museum.
Since 1979, The Plumbing Museum has attracted plumbers, tradesmen, and curious visitors from all walks of life. The museum offers a unique, trade-specific take on American history and stands as a tribute to the plumbers, engineers, and inventors whose hard work and creative spirit have contributed so much to the betterment of our society.
In 1984, J.C. Cannistraro, Inc., under the direction of John Cannistraro, Sr., purchased an old ice house from the Jac-Pac Company, a frozen meat distributor, and relocated his company from a small garage on Pleasant Street in Watertown. During the next twenty years, numerous additions and developments were made resulting in the large complex that is now the J.C. Cannistraro, LLC corporate offices and prefabrication facility.
Through the company’s association with the Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association, J.C. Cannistraro would be presented with the opportunity to continue the operation of the museum. In 2007, the vision and design of J.C. Cannistraro, combined with the operational help of the PHCC of Greater Boston, brought this remarkable Plumbing Museum to the newly renovated ice house in the historic city of Watertown.