Pratt, Read and Company Factory Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Pratt, Read and Company Factory Complex
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Main Street between Bridge and Spring Streets and 5 Bridge Street, Deep River, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Area | 9.5 acres (3.8 ha) |
| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | Williams, Charles M.; Ford, Buck & Sheldon |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001117 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 1984 |
The Pratt, Read and Company Factory Complex is an old factory building in Deep River, Connecticut. It was once a very important place for making things out of ivory, like combs, buttons, and parts for pianos. The factory started in 1863 and grew a lot over the years. Today, these historic buildings have been turned into homes. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 because of its important history.
Contents
What Was the Pratt, Read Factory?
This factory was a big deal in Deep River. It was known for working with ivory. Ivory is a hard, white material that comes from the tusks of animals like elephants. At this factory, skilled workers turned ivory into many useful items. They made things like combs for hair and buttons for clothes. Most famously, they made keys and other parts for pianos.
A Look at the Factory Buildings
The old Pratt, Read factory has several brick buildings. They are located along the Deep River. You can find them north of the town center. The main building is very tall, with five stories. It has a fancy entrance tower in the middle. Other parts of the building stretch out towards the river.
Buildings Across the River
There is also another group of buildings across the river. A large four-story concrete building stands out there. These buildings show how the factory grew over time.
The History of Pratt, Read and Company
The Pratt, Read Company started developing the eastern part of the factory in 1863. However, the oldest buildings you see today were built after 1881. George Read first began working with ivory in this area way back in 1809. His business was later taken over by Pratt, Read in 1863.
The Big Fire of 1881
Sadly, all the older factory buildings were destroyed by a big fire in 1881. But the company didn't give up! They quickly rebuilt the main factory building right after the fire. This new building is the one you can still see today.
Expanding the Factory
The factory was used to process ivory for many different products. They made combs, buttons, and especially piano keys. Eventually, they even made entire piano keyboard parts. In 1914, the company expanded even more. They built new parts of the factory on the western side of the river. These new buildings were designed by Ernest J. Ransome. He was a pioneer in using reinforced concrete for factory construction.
