Areas: 300 Years of Community
Stylish Neighborhoods: Architecture
Industrial Buildings
Meadows Historic Farms: 250 Productive Years

History on the Ground:
Industrial Buildings

Greenfield is best known for its industrial past, and today this legacy shapes much of its built environment. These historic buildings constitute a significant portion of the town's economic infastructure and help to impart a sense of what is unique and special about the town. Today they continue to serve new businesses which continue its long established inventive and entrepreneurial character. This chronological list includes a brief identification of significance and the local historic survey number. Contact us for more information.

Newell Snow Factory/Greenfield Steel Stamp Works
— Mead Street 1823 and 1879
In nearly original condition, this site was the Wells Bros. tap & die machine shop until 1886; earliest surviving foundation of that industry in the town #26

Rugg Mfg. Co./Munson Infant Carriage Parts Co.
— Newton Street 1855 (additions)
A little changed factory building built to make wooden carriage parts. Francis A. Rugg, rake and shovel manufacturer, 1889 to the present, important WWII role. #149

Chas. A. Field Infant Carriage Mfg. Co./Eastern Textile Co.
— Power Square ca. 1860
Built by first infant carriage maker, sold to Eastern Textile in 1934 #24

E. Pierce Lumber Co. 1860/ Pierce & Austin Lumber 1871/Franklin Cty. Lumber 1893 — Olive Street
The planing and molding shop from the complex #111

Threadwell Tap & Die Factory 1926/"Good Cheer" "The Housewife" magazines 1882-1889/Nichols Tool Co. 1892/American Tool & Die/Wells Tool Co. — Arch Street
Elaborate Greek Revival complex, site of 1851 Greenfield Tool Co. #167

Goodell Mfg. Co. 1897 (rear bldg) hand and specialty tool manufacture — 1 Main Street
Jeffers Motor Car Co. 1910 (front bldg) Pioneer/Pierson/Sweeney Ford
early auto dealers, important stone panels on art moderne façade #148

T. Morey Printing 1886/Waltham Watch 1940s/Mohawk Engraving 1945 — Chapman Street
Important engravings for Time, Life and Saturday Evening Post magazines.

Wells Bros. Tool Co./Greenfield Tap & Die Plant #2 1889
— Sanderson Street
Significant early tap & die industry building #208

Rogers, Lunt & Bowlen/Lunt Silversmith Factory complex 1890
— Federal Street
Major manufacturers of metalwares & Oakman Motor Vehicle Co. 1898-1900 #240

Cutler,Lyons & Field Shoe Factory/F.W. Webb Wholesale Plumbing Supply 1880 — Hope St.
Nearly original and unique factory form, located near the railroad line #35

Chauncy Wing & Sons Mailing Machine Factory 1892
— Pierce Street, two buildings
1st mobile police radio system, the Wing Special roadster;
WWII Norden bombsite, 1st US radar sets. #223;
B.B.Noyes Foundry/Wells Tool Co. 1893 Hope Street;
Significant inventions and prominent WWII activity #37

Greenfield Electric Light & Power Co./Mowry & Schmidt Contractors 1900 — Power Square
In original condition, an example of a turn of the century utility building, regionally significant #25

G.W. Spurr Mfg. Co./Diamond Electric Soap Co./Bete Fog Nozzle 1900 — Pierce Street
Produced popcorn balls, florist supply, brushes and toys #224

Greenfield Machine Co./GTD/Minott Printing & Binding Co. 1900 — Haywood St.
GMC was a Wiley & Russell spin-off company in one of Greenfield's early, architecturally important, concrete industrial buildings #239

F.E. Wells Co./Greenfield Tap & Die Co. 1910
— Beacon and Riddell Sts.
Built by F.E. Wells for tool making, merged into GTD in 1912, an early
one story, shed style concrete factory building. #231

Bickford Machine Co. 1908 Wells Street
Producer of special tap making machines, bought by GTD 1917; significant WWII activity #173

Toiletine Company 1911 — 143 Hope Street
Highly successful two-person operation producing an alcohol-based,
liniment-like remedy here from 1911-71. A unique building. #39

W. N. Potter Grain Elevator & Store 1910 — 155 Main Street
Remodeled in 1976, this 6-story post & beam elevator and brick store
headquartered the largest grain business in the state #116

DBA PAK Associates 1910 — 305 Wells Street
This is one in a cluster of small industrial buildings built in the
prosperous pre-WWII years

Greenfield Monumental Works 1911 — 9 Mill Street
The town's first headstone shop with an art deco parapet added in the
1930s #22

Wiley & Russell Box Co./GTD/Smith Brush Mfg. Co. 1912
— 330 Chapman Street
A largely original complex built for manufacturing tap and die shipping
Boxes #174

Millers Falls Tool Company/The Mill House Apartments 1916
— Wells Street
The Mill House is the sole remaining building in a large complex begun in 1892 by this major tool maker of the first power saw, hand drill, commercial mitre box, hacksaw frame and bench drill. Key WWII role #117

Wilfred E. Hunt Feeds/Sunshine Feeds/Smith Paper Store 1922 — 121 1/2 Wells Street
This was the sole competitor to the Potter wholesale grain mill. Corrugated aluminum siding added in 1978 #166

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Promoter Newell Snow backed the Wells Bros. inventions in his 1823 building

Wiley & Russell Dam
Originally the 1750 Bascom Dam, this power source was rebuilt by the 1836 Green River Cutlery, the 1872 Wiley & Russell Manufacturing Co. and in 1936 by the Greenfield Tap & Die Corporation: the core of Greenfield's major industry.