Lyman Woodard Furniture and Casket Company Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lyman Woodard Furniture and Casket Company Building
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Factory building, showing 1885 and 1888 construction
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| Location | 216-222 Elm St., Owosso, Michigan |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1885 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | Owosso MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80001915 |
| Added to NRHP | November 4, 1980 |
The Lyman Woodard Furniture and Casket Company Building is an old factory building in Owosso, Michigan. It's located at 219-222 South Elm Street. This building is important because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That means it's a special place recognized for its history.
A Look Back in Time: The Woodard Story
Lyman E. Woodard was a talented architect and builder. He came from New York and moved to Owosso in 1866. There, he started a company that made wooden sashes, blinds, and doors. This was one of the first woodworking businesses in Owosso.
Through the 1870s and 1880s, Lyman Woodard's business grew a lot. He started making furniture and even caskets, along with his original products. He was very good at advertising, and soon his products were known all over the United States!
To get more customers, Woodard made many different versions of his products. You could buy a simple pine bed or a fancy one made of carved ash or walnut. In 1885, his company needed a bigger space. So, he built a brand new factory at the corner of Cass and South Elm Streets. A part of this new factory burned down in 1888, but Lyman Woodard quickly rebuilt it that same year.
Lyman Woodard passed away in 1904. His sons, Frank, Fred, and Lee Woodard, took over the business. They decided to focus only on furniture and caskets. In the 1910s, a big flu outbreak meant more people needed caskets. By the 1920s, the Owosso Casket Company became the largest casket maker in the world!
However, the Great Depression in the 1930s was a tough time for businesses. By 1942, both the Woodard Casket Company and Furniture Company had to close down. But Lee Woodard didn't give up! He started a new company making metal furniture. The Woodard Furniture Company stayed nearby until 1995. After that, they moved to a new building. As of 2015, the old Casket Company Building was mostly empty.
What the Building Looks Like
The Lyman Woodard Furniture and Casket Company Building is a big factory made of brick. It's built in a style called Commercial Italianate. This means it has a classic, strong look. The building has several connected parts, ranging from two to five stories tall.
The factory has simple windows with four panes of glass on the top and four on the bottom. These windows are set in arched openings. The brick walls have decorative brick lines and columns. There's also a special brick design at the top, like a fancy crown.
