Isaac Woodward established his firm of Woodward & Company in Boston in 1843.  In 1845, Woodward brought John Brown into partnership, reorganizing the firm as “Woodward & Brown”.  The first factory was located at 293 Washington Street, but due to their great success they continued to expand and moved to 387 Washington Street in 1860.  The firm was known for building extremely high quality square grand pianos during the 19th Century, with a handful of upright models also available in the 1870’s.  Woodward & Brown was known for building extremely high quality, expensive pianos, and they were well respected in the industry.

Isaac Woodward died in 1883 and was succeeded by his son, Arthur S. Woodward.  In 1885, Woodward & Brown relocated to 175 Washington Street.  The firm began experiencing financial difficulties by 1886, ultimately going out of business before the turn-of-the-century.