- This page was last modified on 17 October 2025, at 10:18. Suggest an edit.
Eaton, Crane & Pike Company Factory facts for kids
|
Eaton, Crane & Pike Company Factory
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 75 South Church Street, Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1883 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001166 |
| Added to NRHP | August 3, 1990 |
The Eaton, Crane & Pike Company Factory is an old factory building in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It used to be called the Terry Clock Company Factory. This large building was built between 1883 and 1967. For many years, it was a very important paper factory in Pittsfield. It also provided many jobs for people in the area. Today, the factory has new life. It is now used for homes and small businesses. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.
What the Factory Looks Like Today
The old Eaton factory is a group of brick buildings. They are all connected to each other. The factory sits by a bend in the Housatonic River. This is southwest of downtown Pittsfield. Railroad tracks run along the north side of the property.
There are nine different buildings in this connected complex. They range from three to eight stories tall. The most noticeable part of the factory is its central clocktower. This tower is 3 and a half stories high. It has a special sloped roof and a flagpole on top. The clocktower was built in 1883. It is one of the oldest parts of the factory that is still standing.
A Look Back in Time: The Factory's History
The oldest part of the factory was built in 1883. It was built by the Terry Clock Company. This company had a long history of making clocks. The first clocks were made by Eli Terry way back in 1793. The Terry Clock Company owned this factory until 1893.
In 1893, the Hurlbut Paper Company bought the factory. They started a new part of their business there. This new division made stationery, like paper and envelopes. Arthur W. Eaton was in charge of this new stationery division. Later, the Hurlbut company was bought by the American Writing Paper Company. But they did not want to keep the stationery part of the business. So, Arthur Eaton and some other investors bought it.
In 1908, a company called Crane & Co. invested a lot of money. Because of this, the company's name changed to Eaton, Crane & Pike. In 1934, the name was made shorter to just Eaton. The company did very well for many years. But in the 1950s, fewer people were writing letters. This meant less demand for their paper products.
The company changed owners a few times after that. Finally, the factory closed its doors in 1987. Soon after, the building was changed. It became a mix of homes and places for small businesses.