Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Corner of North Avenue and West Water Street, 1930

Description

"The land on which the Vincent Window Frame Company was located was originally owned by Nathaniel E. Cutler, a founding partner of Cutler Bros. wholesale and retail dealers of hay, flour, grain, groceries and poultry supplies, established in 1872. After his death, his land was sold to the Wakefield Real Estate and Building Association which then sold over 20 parcels of land to individuals and companies. Several light manufacturing companies have been located on the North Avenue property between Armory and West Water Streets since its development in the late 1910s, early 1920s. Prior to the Vincent Window Frame Company, the building was owned by the George E. Belcher Machine Company of Stoughton which purchased the factory building and land from the Westgard Machine Company in August, 1920. Records indicate that Westgard employed 42 employees in June, 1918. The Belcher Company also purchased two additional lots for expansion. In 1921, the company employed 43 workers, with an average weekly payroll of $750, and an annual average value of output of $50,000. Around the time of the Belcher Machine Company's purchase, the land to its east was developed by Steel Specialties of Waltham, and a 32' x 100' factory was built. The lot had 100' frontage on both West Water and Armory Streets, with a distance between each street said to be 200'. There was 'plenty of room for expansions and provisions for plenty of light for manufacturing purposes.' Over the years, the buildings have been occupied by several business, Metal Specialties Company and Collamore Woodworking being among them." -- Text from calendar by Jayne M. D'Onofrio.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1999

Photo courtesy of the Wakefield Item Company.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (Wakefield, Mass.)

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Date

1930

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

Wakefield, Mass. : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Cutler Bros. Wholesale and Retail Dealers (Firm)

Vincent Window Frame Company (Wakefield, Mass.)

Window industry

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

1 picture : b&w

Extent

13 x 32 cm.