Weis Manufacturing Company building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Weis Manufacturing Company
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View of the main building from Union Street; the original north wing is to the right.
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 Location in Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Location | 800 West 7th Street Monroe, Michigan |
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| Built | 1905 |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000313 |
| Added to NRHP | October 26, 1981 |
The Weis Manufacturing Company, now known as WoodCraft Square, is an old factory building. You can find it at 800 West 7th Street in Monroe, Monroe County, Michigan. This building is very important! It was listed as a Michigan Historic Site and added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 26, 1981.
Contents
A Look Back: Early Factory Days
This factory was built between 1905 and 1912. It was made for the Weis Binder Company, which first started in Toledo, Ohio. Many new businesses were popping up in Monroe around this time. The city was growing very fast!
What They Made
The first part of the factory was finished in 1905. By early 1906, the factory was busy making file folders, cardboard binders, and index cards. About 60 people worked there. A few years later, the company started making wooden bookcases and other office furniture.
Growing Bigger
The business did very well! In 1909, they added more space to the factory, making it twice as big. A few years later, they built another addition. By 1912, the factory had three main buildings. It covered a huge area, about 120,000 square feet. Around 300 people worked there!
New Owners
From 1912 to 1964, the company kept making paper and office supplies. Then, in 1964, the Floral City Furniture Company bought the complex. This company was part of La-Z-Boy, which is also based in Monroe. A few years later, the Weis complex was renamed the La-Z-Boy Chair Company. By 1978, the factory was completely empty. La-Z-Boy had built a new, bigger manufacturing area at their main headquarters.
WoodCraft Square Today
In 1980, the city of Monroe bought the empty factory from La-Z-Boy for only $1. It stayed empty for several more years. Then, the city decided to turn the main building into homes for senior citizens. These homes are for people who need affordable places to live.
A New Purpose
Even though the inside was changed, the outside of the building still looks much like it did when it was first built. The complex was renamed WoodCraft Square. Today, it has 208 newly fixed-up apartments for seniors.
What the Buildings Look Like
The Weis Manufacturing Company complex has five buildings made of brick. Three of these buildings are connected and stand along Union Street. The other two buildings are separate and are located behind the Union Street section.
Union Street Buildings
The three buildings along Union Street look very similar. They are all made of brick. However, they have different heights, so you can tell them apart.
- The northern part of the Union Street building was built in 1905 or 1906. It has two stories and a flat roof. It has many windows with arched tops.
- The middle part of the Union Street building was built in 1909. It is similar to the northern part but sits on a higher base.
- The southern part of the Union Street building was built in 1917. It is an extension of the middle part and has a similar design. This section is three stories tall. The sides of this part that don't face Union Street have very tall windows.
Buildings Behind Union Street
There are two more buildings behind the Union Street section.
- The larger one has three stories and a flat roof. It was built in 1911 and is also made of brick. It looks similar to the Union Street buildings.
- The smaller building used to be a boiler house. It has one story, is made of brick, and has a pointed roof.
