Willard Manufacturing Company Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Willard Manufacturing Company Building
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Location | 25 Stowell St., St. Albans, Vermont |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1896 |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001116 |
| Added to NRHP | December 6, 2006 |
The Willard Manufacturing Company Building is an old factory building in St. Albans, Vermont. It was built in 1896 and was used for making things until 2006. This building still has many of its original parts from when it was first built. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 because of its important history.
Contents
What Does the Building Look Like?
The Willard Manufacturing Company Building is in an area of St. Albans with many factories. This area is close to the train tracks of the Central Vermont Railway. The building is on the north side of Stowell Street. It is also at the corner of Allen Street.
Building Design and Size
The building has two stories and a flat roof. It is made of wood and is about 200 feet (61 meters) long. It sits on a strong foundation made of limestone. The roof has a small edge that sticks out. You can sometimes see the ends of the roof beams.
Windows and Additions
The windows are tall and shaped like rectangles. The top part of the window stays still, and the bottom part can slide open. There is also a smaller, one-story part added to the west side of the main building. This part has large openings for garage doors.
Inside the Factory
When you go inside, there is a lobby at the east end. Most of the ground floor is a big open space, like a factory. On the upper floor, there are offices and a place to show products at the east end.
History of the Willard Manufacturing Company
The Willard Manufacturing Company started in 1886. It was founded by Rodney S. Willard. He was a well-known local clothing maker. He combined two businesses he was part of to create this new company.
What They Made
At first, the company made overalls and frocks. These are types of clothing. Later, they started making other items. These included underwear, socks, and swimsuits.
Building the Factory
This factory building was constructed in 1896. The land for the factory was bought from W. Beecher Fonda. He was on the company's board and owned the lumber yard next door. In 1895, a big fire had damaged the downtown area of St. Albans. So, this new factory was built using the best ways to prevent and stop fires.
Later Owners and Uses
The Willard Company kept operating until the early 1940s. During World War II, they made military uniforms. In 1942, the George H. Soule Company bought the building. This company made equipment for making maple syrup. The Soule Company added walls inside to create offices. They also added the garage part to the west end of the building. Later, the Leader Evaporator Company owned the building. They moved to a newer factory in 2006. After that, the old factory building was changed into apartments.
