W.R. Roach Cannery Warehouse and Office Building

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W.R. Roach Cannery Warehouse and Office Building
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Location89 E. Sanborn, Croswell, Michigan
Coordinates 43°16′21″N82°36′54″W / 43.27250°N 82.61500°W / 43.27250; -82.61500 Coordinates: 43°16′21″N82°36′54″W / 43.27250°N 82.61500°W / 43.27250; -82.61500
Area3.7 acres (1.5 ha)
Built1917 (1917)
Built byJauris Landon and W. F. Dennison
Architectural styleIndustrial loft warehouse
NRHP reference # 05000717 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 20, 2005

The W.R. Roach Cannery Warehouse and Office Building is an industrial structure located at 89 East Sanborn in Croswell, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, [1] and now contains apartments, known as Cannery Village. [2]

Croswell, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Croswell is a city in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,447 at the 2010 census.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

History

William R. Roach owned a pea-canning factory in Hart, Michigan. In 1915, he planted an experimental crop north of Lexington, Michigan to determine if the soil was suitable. The crop thrived, and in 1917 Roach proposed an agreement to the Croswell Improvement Association to build a canning factory there. The Improvement Association agreed, money was raised, and work on the foundation of the building began in November 1917. Work ceased during the winter, and was resumed in March 1918. The factory was completed in mid-May. Construction on the adjoining warehouse began in 1918 and ended the next year. [3]

Hart, Michigan City in Michigan, United States

Hart is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,126 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Oceana County. The city is located within Hart Township, but is politically independent.

Lexington, Michigan Village in Michigan, United States

Lexington is a village in Sanilac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,178 at the 2010 census. The village is located within Lexington Township.

At the same time that construction was being completed, Roach dismantled his factory in Hart and moved the equipment to the new plant. Production of canned peas was begun even before the exterior of the plant was finalized. The cannery provided significant employment for the surrounding community. During World War I and World War II, production shifted to supporting the armed forces, with pork and beans being a significant part of the output. William R. Roach retired in the early 1930s, and the cannery business was reorganized and sold to Compton Foods. [3]

World War I 1914–1918 global war originating in Europe

World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. Contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars", it led to the mobilisation of more than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, making it one of the largest wars in history. It is also one of the deadliest conflicts in history, with an estimated nine million combatants and seven million civilian deaths as a direct result of the war, while resulting genocides and the 1918 influenza pandemic caused another 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Stokely Van Camp Foods purchased the plant in 1946, and operated it until its closure in 1978. The factory was demolished in stages, and was completely gone in 1994. The warehouse was used by a local company until 1999. [3] In 2004, the warehouse was refurbished into 41 apartments, known as Cannery Village. [2]

Van Camps

Van Camp's is a brand of canned beans currently owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. Their products typically consist of beans stewed in a flavored sauce. Van Camp's has for some time been the second-best selling brand of baked beans in the United States, competing with Bush's Baked Beans.

Description

The original complex constructed by W.R. Roach included a cannery itself, a warehouse, an office building and a vinery building. Both the vinery building and the cannery have been demolished, leaving the warehouse and office building. [3]

The office building is a single story red brick structure with a hip roof and full basement. The building measures 24 feet by 44 feet. Both the roof eaves and the lower courses of brick flare slightly. The interior of the office building contains a large general office space and a private office with a bathroom behind. The lower level contains another bathroom, a kitchen, an eating area and another office. [3]

The warehouses is a two-story brick structure measuring 312 feet by 84 feet on a poured concrete foundation with extends upward approximately 24 inches above ground level. Window openings measure 44 inches by 73 inches. [3] The interior has been refurbished into 41 apartments, with four one-bedroom and thirteen two-bedroom apartments on the first floor and two three-bedroom and twenty-two two bedroom apartments on the second. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "The Cannery Village". Campus Village.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Tom Andres (December 2004), NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM: Roach, W. R., Cannery Warehouse and Office Building