Hersey Plow Company Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hersey Plow Company Building
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | Hill St. near Stony Brook, South Paris, Maine |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1848 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000922 |
| Added to NRHP | June 14, 1990 |
The Hersey Plow Company Building is a very old and important building located on Hill Street in South Paris, Maine. It was likely built around 1848. This brick building is special because it's one of the few small industrial buildings from that time period left in inland Maine. It was originally used by the Hersey Plow Company as a place to store and sell their products. The Hersey family ran this company from 1835 to 1862. In 1990, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's recognized as a significant historical site.
What Does the Hersey Plow Company Building Look Like?
This historic building is made of brick and has two floors. It has a pointed roof, which is called a gable roof. The building shows a simple style known as Greek Revival. This means it has classic, balanced features, like the old Greek temples.
You can see granite stone around the windows and doors. The main entrance is in the middle of the front of the building, with tall windows on either side. The windows on the second floor are a bit smaller. There are also two windows in the pointed part of the roof. On the sides of the building, the windows look similar to the front ones.
Inside the Building
When the Hersey Plow Company Building was first built, the inside was mostly open space on both floors. Over the years, some walls were added to create separate rooms. At the back of the brick building, there's a two-story addition made of wood. We don't know exactly when this part was built, but it was there by about 1880. This wooden section has also been changed quite a bit over time.
The Story of the Hersey Plow Company
The Hersey Plow Company was started in 1835 by Simeon Hersey and two business partners. A plow company makes tools used in farming to turn over soil before planting. This helps farmers prepare their fields.
After a few years, the company grew and moved to the spot where the building stands today, right next to Stony Brook. Here, they built a large factory and even built a dam on the river to use its water power for their machines.
Sadly, in 1842, a big fire completely destroyed the factory. But the Hersey family didn't give up! They built new facilities on the same spot, and this building was part of that new construction. It became the main place for selling plows and storing them.
This building is the only part of the original Hersey factory that is still standing today. The Hersey family continued to run the company until 1862. Then, they sold the business to F. C. Merrill. Mr. Merrill kept the plow business going, but it seems he stopped using this particular building around 1880.
