Search
 

All in the Family

A profile piece on indpendent insurance agent, C.T. Lowndes & Co.

By Nicole Zwartz | Updated on October 04, 2010
Remarkable as it may seem, South Carolina’s oldest independent insurance agency, C.T. Lowndes & Co., is celebrating its 160th anniversary this year. Started in 1850 by Charles T. Lowndes, the agency has survived the Civil War, Reconstruction, several fires in the 1800s, numerous hurricanes, a major earthquake, two world wars, the Great Depression and the recession of 2008-2010. Despite the hardships and changes, C.T. Lowndes maintains ownership by the fifth generation of the Lowndes family, and has grown from one location in Charleston and five staff members to eight locations in South Carolina and about 90 employees.

The agency began in an era of no electricity, telephones, indoor plumbing or fast transportation. Charles Lowndes used a quill pen and inkwell to write policies, and if he needed a copy of the letter, he would have to write the letter again. The company still has a few policies from the 1860s, which provided for loss against one peril–fire. Earthquake insurance was not available until 1916, and wind insurance came later. The policies were written on large paper and folded with the policy conditions on one side.

Henry H. Lowndes Jr., current owner and CEO and great-great-great-great nephew of Charles Lowndes, remembers when he began working with his father and brother in the family business after serving as an officer aboard a destroyer for three years during the Vietnam War.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free
PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader.

INCLUDED IN A DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP:

  • All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
  • Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
  • Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.

Already have an account?

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Dig Deeper

Recommended Stories

PropertyCasualty360

Join PropertyCasualty360

Don’t miss crucial news and insights you need to make informed decisions for your P&C insurance business. Join PropertyCasualty360.com now!

  • Unlimited access to PropertyCasualty360.com - your roadmap to thriving in a disrupted environment
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including BenefitsPRO.com, ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
  • Exclusive discounts on PropertyCasualty360, National Underwriter, Claims and ALM events

Already have an account? Sign In Now
Join PropertyCasualty360

Copyright © 2024 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.