H. W. Clark Biscuit Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
H. W. Clark Biscuit Company
|
|
The Icing Building, 2012
|
|
 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | 179–191 Ashland Street, North Adams, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Built | 1923–30 |
| MPS | North Adams MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000235 |
| Added to NRHP | April 22, 2009 |
The H. W. Clark Biscuit Company was once a busy factory in North Adams, Massachusetts. It made delicious biscuits! This place is now a group of buildings that used to be part of the factory. It has a long and interesting history.
The company started with Herbert W. Clark. He first baked biscuits at a different spot on Liberty Street. Later, he expanded into a building that used to be a shoe factory. Clark had run this shoe factory with a business partner.
Contents
The Factory's Beginnings
In 1913, a fire destroyed Clark's Liberty Street bakery. But Clark was quick to act! He moved his employees to the shoe factory building. They worked there on a second shift. At the same time, he started building a new part of the factory. This new building is now called the Icing Building.
The Icing Building
The Icing Building was built in a style that looked like older factories. These older factories were common in North Adams about 50 years before. Because of its classic look, people sometimes think the Icing Building is much older than it really is!
Other Early Buildings
Also in 1913, Clark built a Boiler House. This building was connected to an old warehouse. The warehouse was part of the original shoe business. It was built in 1884, making it the oldest building still standing on the property today.
Modernizing the Bakery
In 1922, Clark decided to make his factory even better. He started a big project to modernize the whole place. He built the Baking Building. This building was made from a strong material called reinforced concrete. It was designed by William Higginson, an architect from New York. This was a very important building for the city. It was the first building in North Adams made with reinforced concrete!
A New Chapter for the Buildings
Herbert Clark sold his business in 1928. His health was not good. The new owners kept the bakery running until 1954. After that, the buildings changed hands several times. For almost 40 years, the Tartan Machine Company used them. But that company moved out in 1990.
The buildings then sat empty for about 20 years. They were not used at all. But then, they got a new life! The property was fixed up and turned into homes. People now live where biscuits were once baked!
The H. W. Clark Biscuit Company complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. This means it is an important historical site.
