Hamilton Watch Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hamilton Watch Complex |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Art Deco, International style, Second Empire |
| Address | 901 Columbia Avenue Lancaster, Pennsylvania United States |
| Coordinates | 40°2′21″N 76°19′29″W / 40.03917°N 76.32472°W |
| Construction started | September 1874 |
| Completed | 1963 |
| Renovated | 1983–2003 |
| Height | 90 feet (27 m) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Clarence Luther Stiles |
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Lancaster Watch Company
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Part of | Lancaster City Historic District (ID0100956) |
| NRHP reference No. | 82003793 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 14, 1982 |
| Designated CP | September 7, 2001 |
The Hamilton Watch Complex is a cool old building in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It used to be the main office and factory for the Hamilton Watch Company, a famous watchmaker. They worked here from when the company started in 1892 until 1980. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Today, the main building has been changed into fancy apartments and condominiums. The old administrative offices are now home to a Montessori school.
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Building Design and Features
The Hamilton Watch Complex is located on the western side of Lancaster. It sits right next to Pennsylvania Route 462, also known as Columbia Avenue. The most striking parts of the building are its two tall clock towers. Each tower stands about 90-foot (27 m) high.
These towers have a special type of roof called a mansard roof, which is covered with shiny copper. Each tower also has four clock faces, so you can tell the time from any direction. The main building has four stories and is made of brick. It's shaped a bit like the letter 'E'. The longest part of the building runs from east to west, parallel to Columbia Avenue. Three wings, or sections, stick out from this main part towards the north.
There's also a separate, four-story office building. It stands south of the main building, right between the two clock towers. This office building was designed in the Art Deco style, which was popular in the 1920s and 30s. The westernmost part of the complex has a simpler, more modern look, known as the International style.
A Look at the Complex's History
The story of the Hamilton Watch Complex began in September 1874. That's when the Adams and Perry Watch Manufacturing Company was formed. They started building the first part of the complex, which was finished in July 1875. This original building was designed by an architect from Chicago named Clarence Luther Stiles. It had three stories and was built in the Second Empire style. It included only the eastern clock tower with a wing on each side.
However, the Adams and Perry Watch Manufacturing Company faced problems and went out of business in 1876. After a few years, a new company called the Keystone Standard Watch Company started in 1886. But they also ran into financial trouble and went out of business in 1890. In 1892, a group of investors from Lancaster bought the company's assets at a public auction. They also bought another watch company that had gone out of business in Aurora, Illinois. With these purchases, they officially started the famous Hamilton Watch Company on December 14, 1892.
Growing the Complex
The Hamilton Watch Complex grew quite a bit over the years. In 1902, the western wing of the building was made longer. Then, in 1905, a fourth floor was added to the entire building. The original clock tower was also made taller, and its roof was changed.
The complex continued to expand in the early 1910s. By 1916, the second clock tower was built, making the building even more impressive. An addition was constructed on the eastern end of the building in 1923. More sections were added in 1925 and 1926, extending north from the western clock tower. Another extension was built in 1929, going west from the same tower. During the 1920s, the area around the building was also improved with various landscaping projects.
A new factory wing was built in 1936, located behind the original 1874 clock tower. The four-story office building, which stands between the two clock towers, was constructed in 1941. At the same time, another wing was added, extending north from the end of the 1929 addition. The very last part of the complex was finished in 1963. This was another wing built next to the 1941 wing.
Modern Changes and Renovation
In 1980, the Hamilton Watch Company changed its name to Hamilton Technology. The company moved its operations out of the complex and into downtown Lancaster. After they left, people started thinking about what to do with the big empty buildings.
In 1981, a company from Philadelphia suggested turning the complex into apartments and townhouses. But this plan didn't work out. Another developer bought the site in 1983. However, this project also stopped in 1984 because of a legal dispute. This left many apartments unfinished.
A Montessori school opened in the 1941 office building in the fall of 1995. Then, in 1998, a new developer from Baltimore bought the complex. They planned to turn the existing apartments into luxury apartments and condominiums. This big renovation cost about $8 million.
The main building's renovations were completed in July 2000. A total of 135 condos were created in the building. The city of Lancaster bought the 1941 and 1963 wings in 1999. After a $4.5 million renovation, these wings were rented out to an insurance company in 2003. The Hamilton Watch Complex was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 14, 1982. It was also recognized as an important part of the Lancaster City Historic District on September 7, 2001.
