Tremont Nail Company
Encyclopedia
Wareham, Massachusetts
Wareham is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335, with an estimated 2008 population of 21,221....
from 1819 to 2006. The Tremont Nail brand was purchased by Acorn Manufacturing of Mansfield, Massachusetts
Mansfield, Massachusetts
Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population is 23,184. Mansfield is in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston and is also close to Providence, Rhode Island....
where it still produces cut nails and other products for restoration projects. They are the oldest manufacturer of steel cut nails in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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History
In the early 19th century, Parker Mills was constructed by shipwrights as a cotton mill. During the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, it was partially burned by the British. In 1819, another building was constructed on the site of the former mill by Isaac and Jared Pratt to manufacture nails. At this time, the Parker Mills Nail Company was born. The mill was partially destroyed by fire again in 1836. Reconstruction was completed in 1848 and the buildings haven't changed much since. The bell in the cupola in the original facility bears a date of 1851. The main mill is one of five buildings at the site over 100 years old. There are also 60 nail machines in the building, many over 125 years old. Until the 1920s, the mill was also powered by a centrifugal water wheel which powered the massive overhead shafting. In 1976, the buildings at the facility were added to the Tremont Nail Factory District
Tremont Nail Factory District
Tremont Nail Factory District is an historic district at 21 Elm Street in Wareham, Massachusetts. It makes up the former area occupied by the former Tremont Nail Company.The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976....
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The mill complex today
In 2006, the company moved to Mansfield, MassachusettsMansfield, Massachusetts
Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population is 23,184. Mansfield is in the south-southwest suburbs of Boston and is also close to Providence, Rhode Island....
after being acquired by Acorn Manufacturing. The town of Wareham bought the complex in 2004 in what was called a risky gamble. In 2007, the town decided to invest in the upkeep of the mills so that the elements don't claim the structure.