Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Chicopee, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1832 |
| Architect | McClallan, Charles |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Stick/Eastlake |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000173 |
| Added to NRHP | June 3, 1977 |
The Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District is a special old neighborhood in Chicopee, Massachusetts. It is known as a historic district. This area includes many different kinds of homes. These homes were built for people who worked in the factories, or "mills," in Chicopee during the 1800s.
The district is located around Front, Depot, Dwight, Exchange, and Chestnut Streets. It is one of the few places left that shows what these old factory worker homes looked like. Many similar homes were torn down over time. This historic district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
What is the Dwight Manufacturing Company Housing District?
This historic district covers about 7 acres. It contains buildings that were constructed between 1830 and the 1870s. These buildings were owned by the factory companies until 1927. After the factories closed, the homes were sold to private owners.
Many homes like these were built near the factories. However, a lot of them have been removed or changed a lot over the years. This district helps us remember what life was like for factory workers long ago.
A Look Back: History of the Mills and Homes
Chicopee's main factory history began in 1832. That year, a dam was built on the Chicopee River. Soon after, textile mills, which made cloth, started to open. Investors from places like Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts helped pay for these mills. Several mills were built between 1832 and 1841.
In 1856, four different companies joined together. They formed the Dwight Manufacturing Company. The company was named after Edmund Dwight. He was a lawyer and businessman from Boston.
Housing for Workers
Early factory owners built special homes called boarding houses. These were meant to attract young, single women from nearby farms to work in the mills. The boarding houses offered a safe place to live. Parents felt better knowing their daughters were supervised.
One example of an old boarding house is the brick building at 2-6-10 Dwight Street. It was built around 1832. The Dwight Company bought it in 1844.
Later, different types of homes were built for immigrant families. These families eventually made up most of the factory workers. An example of this kind of home is at 15-17 Chestnut Street. It is a simple two-story brick building. It shows the Greek Revival style of architecture.
