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Holman & Merriman Machine Shop facts for kids
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Derby Shop/Goodnow Pail Factory/Holman & Merriman Machine Shop/L. A. Carpenter Machine Shop/Streeter Shop
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 Location in New Hampshire
Location in the United States
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| Location | 63 Canal St., Hinsdale, New Hampshire |
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| Area | 0.7 acres (0.28 ha) |
| Built | 1837 |
| Architectural style | Factory with clerestory roof |
| NRHP reference No. | 07001260 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 11, 2007 |
The Holman & Merriman Machine Shop is a very old building in Hinsdale, New Hampshire. People also know it as the Derby Shop or the Goodnow Pail Factory. This three-story brick building was built way back in 1837.
It's special because it's the only building in Hinsdale with a unique "clerestory" roof. This type of roof has windows high up to let in lots of light. It's also the only known building in New Hampshire that was built specifically to be a large "cooperage." A cooperage is a place where people make barrels and wooden containers. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, which means it's a very important historic site.
What Makes This Building Special?
The old Holman & Merriman Machine Shop is located on Canal Street in the village of Hinsdale. It sits close to the road. Long ago, a special canal for water power ran right next to it.
The building is made of brick with stone details. It has a sloped roof with those special clerestory windows. These windows are placed between the top of the roof and the edges, letting in extra sunlight. The front of the building has eight sections with windows, and the main door is in the middle. There's also a wooden extension on the left side.
A Look Back at Its History
Joel Derby built this shop in 1837. He planned for it to be a cooperage, a place to make wooden barrels. It was built right next to a canal that opened in 1828. This canal provided "water power," which means the flowing water turned machines inside the building.
Even today, you can still see parts of the old water power system in the basement. This includes the "wheel pit" and "tail race," where the water wheel used to spin. The clerestory windows were very important. They brought in plenty of natural light before electric lights were common. Only three other buildings in New Hampshire are known to have this kind of roof.
The building was used for many different things until 1991. It was a factory for pails, sewing machines, and even parts for other machines. Someone even built a vehicle powered by a steam engine right here!