Robertson Paper Company Complex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Robertson Paper Company Complex
|
|
 |
|
 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Island St., Rockingham, Vermont |
|---|---|
| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1890 |
| MPS | Bellows Falls Island MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 88002165 |
| Added to NRHP | January 22, 1990 |
The Robertson Paper Company Complex was a group of old factory buildings in Bellows Falls, Vermont. These buildings were on Island Street. They were built between about 1890 and 1960. Many different companies that made paper used them.
The Robertson Paper Company used and made the complex bigger from 1907 until 1987. At that time, it was the oldest paper company still working in Vermont. This complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The buildings were taken down in 2018 and 2019. This was part of a project to clean up and reuse old industrial land.
Contents
What Was the Robertson Paper Company Complex?
The Robertson Paper Company plant was on an island. This island was made by the Connecticut River on one side. The Bellows Falls Canal was on the other side. The main factory had eight buildings connected together.
It was on the east side of Island Street. A train yard was to the north. Another old building, the Bellows Falls Co-operative Creamery Complex, was to the east. Island Street sloped downhill toward the train yard. This meant a basement level was open there.
Inside the Factory Buildings
The company offices were in the northern part of the factory. You could get into the offices from the basement level. The southern part of the factory was where most of the paper was made. This area had a special roof called a monitor roof.
Other parts of the building stretched north and east. One section had a freight elevator. This elevator helped move goods down to the train yard level.
A Look at Its History
The oldest part of the complex was built around 1890. A company called C.W. Osgood and Son built it. They made machines for making paper. Other companies took over and made the factory bigger.
In 1907, these companies joined with the Robertson Paper Company. The Robertson Paper Company started in 1881. At first, they made tissue paper in a different factory.
Making Waxed Paper
Later, the company started making waxed paper. When they bought this factory, they were one of the biggest makers of waxed paper in the country. The company stayed in business at this location for a long time. It had different owners and names over the years.
In 1987, the company went out of business. At that time, it was the longest-running paper company in Vermont.
