Originally part of the Saybrook colony, the area now known as Ivoryton was annexed with the newly formed Essex in 1859. Once thought of as the “wild country,” it soon developed into a prosperous manufacturing village. In the late 1700’s, Phineas Pratt of Essex opened a workshop for the production of ivory combs near the site of the present-day factory, using ivory supplied by the many ships coming into Essex harbor as a result of the Triangular Trade Route. Pratt later moved his company to Deep River, and in 1847 S.M. Comstock and Geo. Cheney established an ivory business in Ivoryton. Their company became a major producer of ivory products, including piano keys. In 1880 the village was officially incorporated as Ivoryton, a name popularly believed to have been chosen because “ivory” came into town by the “ton,” and it is the only village of that name in the world. By the late 1800's, Ivoryton had evolved into a classic company town, with immigrants brought in to work in the factory, many living in the company-owned boarding house, the Ivoryton Inn, and shopping at the company store, the Ivoryton Store; later, company houses were built and rented to employees. In 1908 Comstock-Cheney built a recreation hall where employees staged shows and enjoyed travelling vaudeville troupes and silent movies. In 1930 it became the Ivoryton Playhouse, and today it is one of the oldest self-supporting summer theaters in the Country. Although plastic keys replaced ivory in 1954, piano production continues in Ivoryton.