Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, Wakefield, Mass.

Title

Miller Piano Company

Description

"Wakefield was home to several thriving industries during the mid to late 1800s, one of which was the manufacturing plant for the Henry F. Miller Piano Company of Boston. The building which housed the Miller Piano Company was built in the early 1870s, the same time the Taylor Building at the corner of Lincoln and Main Streets and the former Town Hall (razed in 1958) were built. The piano company moved into the building at Water and Smith Streets in 1884 and manufactured pianos for its Boston showroom until 1929. Because of the decline in piano use after World War I, the company was forced to discontinue the piano line and later produced a high quality line of furniture. The building was purchased by William T. Curley, Sr. in 1930 and remained in the family for several years. After the Miller Piano Company moved from Wakefield, the building housed several businesses including an antique shop, furniture stores, several shoe manufacturing concerns and was eventually used for storage. The building was razed in June 1960 to make way for the Surety Bank and Trust Company. The site is now occupied by the local branch of BayBank Middlesex." -- Text from calendar.;Captions: 1. The company ceased manufacturing pianos for the Boston showroom in 1929. The building was still standing in 1940, but housed several ither businesses until it was razed to make way for the Surety Bank and Trust Company. -- 2. Today, the land is occupied by BayBank Middlesex.

Image from the Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department annual calendar, 1988

Photos courtesy of the Wakefield Daily Item.

Contributor

Institution: Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

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

D'Onofrio, Jayne M.

Coverage

Massachusetts--Middlesex (county)--Wakefield

Format

image/jpeg

Publisher

[Wakefield, Mass.] : Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department

Subject

Miller Piano Company (Wakefield, Mass.)

Piano

Factories

Type

still image

Photographs

Original Format

2 pictures : b&w

Extent

10 x 15 cm. & 12 x 16 cm.