Moore Fabric Company Plant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Moore Fabric Company Plant
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 Location in Rhode Island
Location in the United States
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| Location | 45-47 Washington St., Pawtucket, Rhode Island |
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| Built | 1919 |
| Architect | Dwight Seabury |
| NRHP reference No. | 100004785 |
| Added to NRHP | December 19, 2019 |
The Moore Fabric Company Plant is a really old factory building in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It's made up of five buildings that were built between 1878 and 1954. This place was mostly used to make special fabrics that could stretch, like elastic. Even though it was a factory, the very first building there was actually a school! In 2019, this important group of buildings was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place worth protecting. There are now plans to turn the old factory into homes.
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What is the Moore Fabric Company Plant?
The former Moore Fabric Company Plant is located in a neighborhood called Woodville. This area is mostly filled with homes and is southwest of downtown Pawtucket. You can find the plant on the west side of Washington Street.
What Does the Plant Look Like?
The main part of the plant has three big brick buildings. These are called "weave sheds" because that's where fabric was woven. The complex also includes an older wooden schoolhouse. This schoolhouse was built a long time ago, in the late 1800s. There's also a boiler house, which is where the power for the factory would have been made.
From School to Factory: A Brief History
The oldest building at the site is the schoolhouse. It's a simple, one-story wooden building built in 1878. Kids went to school there until 1903. Later, in 1909, someone who made cigars bought the property.
In 1917, a company called Glendana Silk Company bought the land. They built the first weave shed and a boiler house. This company made silk fabric. They even connected the old school building to the new factory with a covered walkway. The school was then used to help ship out the finished silk products.
The Moore Fabric Company Takes Over
The Glendana Silk Company didn't last long and closed down in 1920. That's when John Moore bought the factory. At first, he continued to make silk fabrics. But soon, he started to focus on something new and special.
Making Stretchy Fabric
John Moore began to make fabric using a special kind of stretchy thread. This thread was made from rubberized latex. In 1925, he got a patent for a new way to make this thread. His method made it easier to put the thread onto "bobbins." Bobbins are spools that hold thread for weaving. This new way meant the stretchy thread wouldn't break easily when it was woven into fabric.
The stretchy fabrics made at the Moore Fabric Company were used for many things. They were often used in clothing like undergarments. They were also important for making medical fabrics, like bandages or supports. The company kept making these special fabrics until 1954. After that, the plant was used as a warehouse and for shipping things until the 1970s.
