Peter R. Fell, of Orange County, New York, came to New Orleans in 1832. By 1847, he had started his business selling “common and fine crockery, china, dining and tea services, cut and pressed glassware” at 84 Common Street, near the Veranda Hotel. By the late 1850s, P. R. Fell & Co. was an official agent for several Staffordshire potters. In September 1859, Fell partnered with Alanson Marsh and relocated to 62 and 64 Gravier Street. The Fell & Marsh household-goods business likely collapsed during the Civil War, because P. R. Fell is listed as an insurance agent in advertisements and directories after the war.