Cummings Shoe Factory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Cummings Shoe Factory
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 2 Railroad Avenue, South Berwick, Maine |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001420 |
| Added to NRHP | December 31, 2001 |
The Cummings Shoe Factory is a historic building located at 2 Railroad Avenue in South Berwick, Maine. For over 120 years, it was a busy factory making shoes. Today, the old factory has been turned into apartments where people live.
Because of its long history, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 2001. This means it is recognized as an important part of American history.
A Factory's Long History
The Cummings Shoe Factory is a large, five-story brick building. It stands at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Norton Street. The factory was built in 1871 and quickly became one of the most important businesses in South Berwick.
The factory provided jobs for many people in the community for a very long time. It finally closed its doors in 1993.
Why Was the Factory Built?
The factory was started by a man named David Cummings from Worcester, Massachusetts. At that time, many shoe factories in Maine were built with money from the local community. But the Cummings factory was different because it was a private family business.
One reason Mr. Cummings may have built his factory in Maine was because workers in Massachusetts were starting to form groups to ask for better pay and working conditions. By opening a factory in a new location, he could run his business differently.
From Shoes to Homes
The Cummings family ran the factory until 1929. After that, other companies took over. The factory complex used to be even bigger, with many smaller buildings for tasks like tanning leather. However, all of those other buildings have since been torn down.
In 1993, the last company running the factory had to close. The town of South Berwick took ownership of the empty building in 1995. Instead of tearing it down, the town decided to give the historic building a new life. It was renovated and turned into 48 modern apartments.
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