Eventually James retired, with his younger son Henry (born 1824) running the New York branch, which became Brewster & Co. and his elder son, James Benjamin (born 1817), running the rival firm of J.B. Brewster & Co. In 1883, Henry's 17-year-old son William joined his business. After traveling about Europe to see and learn from the finest coachbuilders, William came home with a discerning eye, scraping an 'X' with a pen knife on finished body panels that showed any imperfection destroying the craftsman's work and requiring a complete re-finish at the craftsman's expense. Later William adopted the slogan "Carriage Builder for the American Gentleman."