Brown And Sharpe Manufacturing Company Complex
History
The first building was designed in 1872 by Brown & Sharpe employee Thomas McFarlane. It was a huge 66,000 square-foot structure made of brick, cast iron, and concrete, and held space for all the company's functions. Over the years, more buildings were built on what was then a 33-acre parcel (later cut to 25 acres when I-95 was built), including a carpenter shop, powerhouse, machine shops, warehouses, grinding shop, and steel storage bins. The complex was largely complete by 1920, although the last structure was built in 1941.
The company remained in the location until 1964, when it was sold for $3.2 million. The property was sold again in 1986 to Foundry Associates.
The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
The Foundry
Starting in 2004, the Brown & Sharpe complex began renovations into rental units. The space re-opened as The Foundry, a mix of residential loft apartments and office space. The Foundry encompasses 26 acres and 13 restored buildings. The last apartments in the complex were completed in 2015.
In 2016, the A. T. Cross Company, maker of writing instruments and pens, moved its headquarters from Lincoln, Rhode Island to 299 Promenade Street at The Foundry.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Browne and Sharpe Manufacturing Company Complex" (PDF). Rhode Island Preservation. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
- ^ Arnold, Horace L. "Modern Machine-Shop Economics. Part II" in Engineering Magazine 11. 1896
- ^ "The Foundry Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing". Art in Ruins. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "About The Foundry". The Foundry Campus. The Foundry. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ "Final Building Under Renovation at "The Foundry" in Providence". ABC6 News. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
- ^ Bramson, Kate (9 May 2016). "A.T. Cross getting $1.9 million in state incentives for move to Providence". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 22 December 2016.