The firm of D. L. Fry & Company was established in about 1855 by brothers Daniel L. Fry, James W. Fry, and T. Marshall Fry. Their first factory is listed at 29 Orange Street, Syracuse, New York. D. L. Fry & Company built a full line of high end square grand pianos, organs and melodeons, and they are listed as having won several awards and medals at shows and exhibitions during the mid-19th Century.

The firm was a relatively small-scale manufacturer, and their instruments were known to be built of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Pianos built by D. L. Fry & Company were often very elaborate with exotic woods and lavishly carved cabinets, and they were often quite expensive. Due to their high cost and small-scale production, instruments by D. L. Fry are exceedingly rare today. There is no mention of the firm after about 1887, indicating that the firm was out of business well before 1890.