Wachusett Shirt Company facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Wachusett Shirt Company
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Leominster, Massachusetts |
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| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1887 |
| Architect | Paul Weber, F.A. Whitney |
| NRHP reference No. | 82004476 |
| Added to NRHP | July 8, 1982 |
The Wachusett Shirt Company was a very important factory in Leominster, Massachusetts. It made shirts for many years. This group of five buildings was built between 1887 and 1910. It was one of the biggest employers in the city until the 1930s.
Today, most of the old factory buildings are no longer making shirts. In 1981, they were changed into homes called Riverway Apartments. Because of its history, the complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's a special place worth protecting.
Contents
What Was the Wachusett Shirt Company?
The former Wachusett Shirt Company buildings are located in Leominster. They are found near Water Street and Monoosnuc Brook. The brook was important because it provided power for the factory long ago.
The Buildings
There are five main buildings in the complex. Four of them are on one side of Water Street. Three of these are connected to each other. One building is on the other side of the street. Most of the buildings are made of brick. They are between two and four stories tall. A wooden bridge connects two of the buildings over Water Street.
The first main factory building is on the east side. It's a four-story building shaped like a "T". It has fancy decorations in a style called Renaissance Revival. The buildings across the street are simpler. One of them is made of wood. The office building is two stories tall. Its main door is special, set back inside a large round arch.
A Look Back at Shirt Making in Leominster
Making shirts was a huge business in Leominster from about 1880 to 1930. Many people in the city worked in shirt factories.
How the Company Started
The story of the Wachusett Shirt Company began in 1880. A company started by G.F. Morse was making shirts. One of his workers, George Gane, decided to start his own company in 1882. He called it the Wachusett Shirt Company. Later, George Gane partnered with F.A. Whitney. Whitney already owned a factory nearby that made carriages and chairs.
The Wachusett Shirt Company first worked in Whitney's factory. But by 1887, they built the first of their own buildings. The company became very successful. Many skilled shirtmakers lived in Leominster. This success even brought a famous company, Cluett Peabody & Company, to the city. They made the well-known Arrow brand of shirts.
The Industry's Peak and Decline
The shirt-making industry in Leominster was at its busiest in 1902. About 3,000 people worked in shirt factories then. However, the number of workers started to drop. By 1915, only about 1,500 people worked in the industry. The Wachusett Shirt Company eventually closed down in the 1930s.
