Ames Shovel Shop | |
Location | Easton, Massachusetts |
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Coordinates | 42°4′7″N71°6′15″W / 42.06861°N 71.10417°W |
Part of | North Easton Historic District (ID72000119) |
Added to NRHP | November 3, 1972 [1] |
The Ames Shovel Shops, also known as Ames Shovel Works or Ames Shovel Shop, is a historic 19th century industrial complex located in North Easton, Massachusetts. It is part of the North Easton Historic District, and consists of several granite buildings constructed between 1852 and 1885, along with several newer additions and outbuildings dating to about 1928. [2]
The site is adjacent to the H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton, which includes several buildings designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson, commissioned by the Ames family, owners of the shovel company.
In April 2009, the shops were named one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in the United States, by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, due to the pending proposal to redevelop the main portion of the site into residences. [3] [4] [5]
However, in November 2009, an agreement was reached for a scaled-down development, endorsed by the National Trust. [6] Construction began in April 2012, and was expected to take about 18 months; the project was completed in 2015. [7]
The Ames Shovel Company traces its origins to 1774 when Capt. John Ames began making iron shovels at West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His son Oliver Ames Sr. moved the company to North Easton in 1803. In 1844, the elder Ames would transfer the shovel business to two of his sons, Oakes and Oliver Jr., and the company would become known as Oliver Ames & Sons. [8] Within the next few years, gold would be discovered in California in 1848, and in Australia in 1851, creating a worldwide demand for the company's shovels, which were already known for their high quality.
In 1851, the original shovel shop was destroyed by fire. The company would soon rebuild, and by 1852 the first of the new shops had been completed. Strong demand for shovels would continue through this period with the great expansion of railroads and later the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln personally asked Oakes Ames to supply shovels to the Union Army. [9] This made the Ames brothers very wealthy men. The Ames brothers entered politics and became influential in financing the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad, as well as the development of the village of North Easton. Expansion of the shovel factory continued over the years until 1928.
Ames shovels became standard issue for troops in the U.S. Army for every conflict from the American Civil War to Korea.
The Ames Shovel Company ceased production in Easton in 1952. [10]
Since the 1950s the complex has been occupied by a variety of small businesses. The Ames brand is now part of the Ames True Temper Company, headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania [11]
As of early 2009, the main shop complex was the subject of a redevelopment proposal that would significantly alter the site with the demolition of several historic structures and the construction of new residential buildings. [12] In 2008, the site was designated as one of the most endangered historic places in the state by Preservation Massachusetts advocacy group. [13]
The northernmost building, the 1870 handle shop is currently occupied by the local YMCA, and is not part of the redevelopment proposal. The abutting Richardson-designed Old Colony Railroad Station is currently occupied by the Easton Historical Society. The railroad station sits on a short remaining section of track that runs along the Shovel Shop property only. However, the abandoned rail corridor is currently under consideration for expansion of the MBTA commuter rail line from Stoughton to Fall River and New Bedford. [14]
As of September 2014, the site has been redeveloped into apartment housing and is now renting apartments. It has undergone considerable redevelopment, while keeping the historic aspect of its buildings. Signs describing the various buildings and their history are in place. There are many walking paths in the area.
The historic North Easton Station and former Dighton and Somerset Railroad right-of-way is proposed for Phase 2 of the South Coast Rail project, which would extend the MBTA Commuter Rail's Stoughton Branch to meet the Phase 1 route at East Taunton station, with through-running to New Bedford and Fall River by 2030.
Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Boston area.
Oakes Ames was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts. As a congressman, he is credited by many historians as being the single most important influence in the building of the Union Pacific portion of the transcontinental railroad. He is also noted for the subsequent scandal that alleged the improper sale of stock of the railroad's construction company.
Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one of "the recognized trinity of American architecture".
Oliver Ames was an American businessman, investor, philanthropist, and Republican politician who served as the 35th governor of Massachusetts from 1887 to 1890.
Stonehill College is a private Catholic college in Easton, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross and is located on the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr., with 29 buildings that complement the original Georgian-style Ames mansion.
Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr. was a Massachusetts financier and socialite. He was the great-grandson of Oliver Ames, who established the Ames Shovel Company, grandson of Oliver Ames Jr., and son of Frederick Lothrop Ames.
Oliver Ames Jr. was president of Union Pacific Railroad when the railroad met the Central Pacific Railroad in Utah for the completion of the First transcontinental railroad in North America.
The Ames Free Library is a public library designed by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. It is located at 53 Main Street, Easton, Massachusetts, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Oakes Ames Memorial Hall.
The Ames Monument is a large pyramid in Albany County, Wyoming, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and dedicated to brothers Oakes Ames and Oliver Ames Jr., Union Pacific Railroad financiers. It marked the highest point on the first transcontinental railroad, at 8,247 feet (2,514 m).
The Ames Gate Lodge is a celebrated work by American architect Henry Hobson Richardson. It is privately owned on an estate landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted, but its north facade can be seen from the road at 135 Elm Street, North Easton, Massachusetts. In 2013, the Ames Gate Lodge was protected by a preservation easement held by Historic New England.
Oakes Angier Ames was an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist in the Ames family of North Easton, Massachusetts.
Reading station is an MBTA Commuter Rail station in Reading, Massachusetts. It serves the Haverhill/Reading Line. It is located at Lincoln and High Streets on the western fringe of Reading's central business district. The station's historic depot building was built in 1870 by the Boston and Maine Railroad. The station was the terminus of the line from 1959 until the re-extension to Haverhill station in 1979.
The North Easton Historic District is a historic district in Easton, Massachusetts encompassing a cohesive village area developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily through the activities of the locally important Ames family. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 1987, a portion of the district was designated a National Historic Landmark District, known as the H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton, which includes several buildings designed for the Ameses by architect H. H. Richardson.
The F. L. Ames Gardener's Cottage is a small residential house in North Easton, Massachusetts. This building was designed in 1884 by noted American architect Henry Hobson Richardson and built the following year. This building sits on the original Ames estate and was designed soon after the neighboring Ames Gate Lodge. Frederick Lothrop Ames also commissioned Richardson to build the nearby Old Colony Railroad Station. Two other notable buildings in North Easton, the Ames Free Library and Oakes Ames Memorial Hall, were also Richardson designs and commissioned by the Ames family.
The H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton is a National Historic Landmark District in the village of North Easton in Easton, Massachusetts. It consists of five buildings designed by noted 19th-century architect Henry Hobson Richardson, and The Rockery, a war memorial designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
North Easton station is a former railroad station designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located just off Oliver Street in North Easton, Massachusetts, and currently houses the Easton Historical Society. The station was built in 1881 and served commuter trains until 1958. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 as Old Colony Railroad Station. In 1987, it also became part of the H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton, a National Historic Landmark District. The proposed Phase 2 of South Coast Rail would return commuter rail service to the location in 2030 as Easton Village station.
Ames True Temper is a multinational corporation headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation. Ames True Temper specializes in the manufacture of non-powered lawn and garden products. Their manufacturing plant is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and produces 85% of the wheelbarrows in the United States and Canada producing 1.7 million wheelbarrows each year. The Harrisburg plant has been in continual operation since 1876.
Oliver Ames Sr., or "Old Oliver", was the family patriarch of the Ames family of Easton, Massachusetts. He established the family shovel business, which over generations grew to become one of the largest family fortunes in New England.
Frederick Lothrop Ames was heir to a fortune in railroads and shovel manufacturing. He was Vice President of the Old Colony Railroad and director of the Union Pacific railroad. At the time of his death, Ames was reported to be the wealthiest person in Massachusetts.
The Ames family is one of the oldest and most illustrious families of the United States. The family's branches are descended from John Ames, the son of a 17th-century settler of the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and numerous public and private works throughout the U.S. are named after family members, including the city Ames, Iowa and the NASA Ames research center in California.