Records of the Elkinton firm include commonplace books and research notebooks (1849-1874) which summarize the company's daily operations in detail. The results of the firm's early experiments with soluble silicates, marketing, and investment strategies are described. Thomas Elkinton's notebook documents his research and laboratory experiments. There are copies of Thomas Elkinton's letters to German scientists, patent information, and research notes. There is also a detailed diagram of the company's first furnace. The commonplace books contain a good deal of information on the relationship between the Elkinton family and its employees.

Day books, account books, ledgers, cashbooks and journals (1830-1888) document payments for machinery, raw materials, and wages, as well as income from sales. Profit or loss statements are meticulously recorded on a monthly basis. The financial records document the company's founding by Joseph Elkinton with $1,697.33 of capital, and its steady growth and development during the 1830s and 1840s. The expansion during the civil War period is clearly recorded.

Letter books contain copies of letters to customers which document the firm's various sales campaigns. These books trace the company's expansion during the Civil War period and its successful marketing of silicate of soda.