Cheshire County

Hinsdale, New Hampshire, USA. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop. Mark Minckler.
Building researched and recorded from May 11-19, 2012.

Introduction

The following building recording is a project for an assignment in an Archaeology of

Standing Buildings course that I am taking with the Distance Learning program with
Leicester University, Leicester UK. This building record will be a Level 3 report that
describes and analyzes the building’s documented history, physical structure, functions and
usage over time. I will describe the structure in terms of fabric evidence and documentary
evidence that is available and discuss and analyze the possible social, economic, functional
and historic significance of the structure, and discuss and analyze the changes over time.

The choice of a building for this exercise was difficult as there is a wide variety of old
buildings available for study in the area. Informing my decision were access to the building
both inside and out, a level of difficulty that was appropriate for my skills and the purpose of
the assignment, and a building of “character”. I was looking for a building that had a
significant amount of age and importance, so that the “history” of the building could be
researched in documentary records, a study of the buildings’ fabric itself, and a structure that
had various uses and changes throughout its history to enable me to assess, interpret and
analyze the building to a definitive level.

After much deliberation I chose the Holman and Merriman Machine Shop, not only as it
was geographically close to my residence, was architecturally, and historically appealing for
the purpose of this assignment but after introducing myself and explaining the project to the
property owner, I knew I had a great building to record. Owner Mark Minckler was very
cooperative and enthusiastic about my desire to record his building, and offered open access,
his personal manuscript collection, and his personal knowledge of physical state and history
of the building.

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 The Holman and Merriman Machine Shop is a three story brick structure and is an early
example of a monitor-type clerestory- roofed brick industrial building (see photo 1). Located
near the east end of Canal Street in Hinsdale village, Cheshire County, New Hampshire (see
map 1), the building is situated on the north side of Canal Street only 12 feet from the street;
and abuts the southern wall of the canal wall (see map 2). The GPS coordinates of the
structure are 42 degrees 47’ 16.64” N, 72 degrees 28’ 26.78” W (Google earth 2012). The
first floor of the building is currently used for storage and occasional antique sales held by
the current owner. The second floor has been modernized into two rented apartments, and the
third story is unoccupied.

Photo 1. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop, Hinsdale NH. Southern elevation.

The Holman and Merriman Machine Shop is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places and the application document has been a great source of information on the history of
the structure. Additionally, the Hinsdale Public Library, Hinsdale Historical Society, Conant
Public Library- Winchester, Keene Public Library, and Mark Mincklers’ private papers and
knowledge of the buildings’ more recent history will be used to inform this report.

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Map 1. USGS Map of Hinsdale NH and greater Ashuelot area. (Keene Public Library-US
Geologic Survey Map Collection).

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Map 2. Canal Street, Hinsdale, Cheshire County, NH. Enlargement shows location of
Holman and Merriman Machine Shop in 1877. (Source: Atlas of Cheshire County, NH)

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Research Aims

The objective of this research is to evaluate the historical, architectural, and socio-
economic significance of the Holman and Merriman Machine Shop building, and record it to
a level that has not been previously undertaken. As one of the only remaining intact early
nineteenth century industrial buildings on this section of the Ashuelot River, and due to the
largely to the ongoing operations in the structure from 1837 to the latter half of the twentieth
century, there remains an original and open aspect of the interior that is a rarity in the region.
Why did this industrial building last when so many are now gone? Why did this building
have limited permanent structural changes throughout the last 175 years despite its many
uses, while many industrial building have been changed so much that the original functions
are indecipherable or covered by modernization? These questions come to mind when
walking through this ancient structure.

After initial investigation of this building I felt that the building was lacking full
recognition of its significance for its architectural and functional history as well as its
significance in depicting the pre-industrial and pre-railroad period in the region. This
building has a greater story to tell.

Although the structure was described in the 2007 application for the National Register of
Historic Places (NRHP), written by Historic Preservation Consultant Paula Sagerman
(Sagerman 2007), I found that work to be substantially lacking an in depth analysis of the
building as it cited briefly the significance as both architectural and industrial and gave
historical background, but did not fully discuss the contribution that the study of this building
might have for further knowledge and understanding.

I feel that the study of the Holman and Merriman Machine Shop may further inform our
understanding of 19th Century New England canals, development, exploitation and decline of
waterpower, and the infancy of industrialization in the region. The building itself is of
architectural importance, the building is also an example of the use of waterpower in the pre-
industrial development of the region, additionally what has been overlooked is the broader

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landscape and significance of the canal system and how the power harnessed from the turbid
Ashuelot River allowed for the growth of industrial and decline of agricultural importance in
the region, changing it earlier than many towns in the region. Quite simply, obtaining a
plaque of National Register of Historic Places does not adequately explain or put into context
the functional use of the building.

Of course, these were not the broader topics that Sagerman needed to delve into. The
purpose of her report was to assess the structure and identify significance and apply for
National Register of Historic Places for the building. That aim was met and the building is
preserved, recognized, and documented for future generations. Starting with Sagermans’
NRHP application as an informational guide, I hope to tease out more detail and conclusions
after recording and analyzing this building. My goal is to photograph, measure, draw, and
detail my observations about this structure. All photographs were taken by the author in May
2012. A positive outcome would be that that this report may clarify and add to the assessment
of the significance of the structure. I will offer copies of the edited final version of this report
to the property owner and the local library and historical society if they would like a copy.

Although the study of the greater landscape and significance of the canal and associated
works is beyond the immediate aim of this project, it cannot be overlooked in the study of the
Holman and Merriman Machine Shop, for without the harnessing of water power there would
have been no need for industrial buildings in the region in the early years of the nineteenth
century. Further study of the canal and its significance will be required to fully appreciate the
remaining mills on the Hinsdale section of the Ashuelot River.

Methodology

In an effort to accomplish my research aims I plan on using photography, basic floor plan,
elevation and section drawings for visual interpretation and analysis. I have some
documentary sources that appear to have a good amount of background on the building,
including maps and historical photographs.

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 Mark Minckler has graciously allowed me access to the building for photos,
measurements, and discussions about the recent work to stabilize the building and the
condition it was in when he purchased it in 1992.

Limiting factors were that I had limited access to the second floor as it was occupied.
However the renovation of the second floor into apartments covered or removed much of the
visual fabric evidence that I was looking to evaluate. I was working by myself and had no tall
ladder or scaffolding, therefore I was slowed in my measurements and had to find safe and
creative ways to collect all the information that I needed. Encouraging factors were that I had
a full week of vacation time that I could dedicate to collecting the relevant measurements,
historical data, and photos. The local libraries and Hinsdale Historical Society were great
sources of information and I found everyone I approached to be helpful and appreciate all the
assistance I have received.

Background History

The 1837 Holman and Merriman Machine Shop in Hinsdale, New Hampshire is a three
story brick building and is an early example of a monitor-type clerestory-roofed industrial
building, and is said to be one of four remaining clerestory-roofed buildings in the state
(Sagerman 2007). The building has gone through many names, owners and functions since it
was constructed in 1837 as Joel Derby’s Cooperage. It was known as Goodnow Pail Factory
from 1837-1859, as the Holman and Merriman Machine Shop from 1865-1923, as the L.A.
Carpenter Machine Shop from 1924-1936, and as Streeter’s Machine Shop from 1936-1962.
Tempstat Corporation purchased the building in 1967 and ownership was transferred to
Robertshaws Controls Company and Zurn Industries in 1975 and 1980 respectively. In 1981
the building was sold to Robertson Paper who owned a mill across the street and used the
building to store paper. At that time the property was used for industrial and manufacturing
related functions for over 140 years (Sagerman 2007).

The building is located on Canal Street (also known as Route 119) heading east out of the
village of Hinsdale. The building is on the north side of Canal Street, twelve feet from the

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roadway and built into a steep hillside such that the south elevation is three stories and the
north elevation is two stories. The canal that gave both name to the street and power to the
nearby mills runs immediately behind the building such that the north wall is dug into the
south berm of the canal. The 1828 canal was originally over one half mile long (NH.gov
2012) and is no longer functional as the dam to the east that impounded water from the
Ashuelot River to feed the canal was removed in 2001. The canal was a great factor in the
development of the area as Hamilton Hurd describes in 1886, “ The water powers in the
Ashuelot had called here a number of new men and families, which wrought a great change
in the character of the place” (Hurd 1886:181). Additionally, the canal further to the west has
been filled in. The dry canal and its berms run directly behind the building and is noticeable
from the street and can be walked from east of the building all the way to the Ashuelot River,
a distance of several hundred yards (see photo block 1).

Photo block 1. Left: Canal section looking east. Right: Canal and concreted berm directly
behind the machine shop.

Description of the building

The Machine Shop is rectangular in plan, eight bays wide by three bays deep and faces
south, parallel to the street. The foundation is rough cut granite, with common bond brick
walls with a four tiered corbelled cornice, and a side gabled slate clerestory roof with
enclosed cornices. The clerestory is pegged wood frame construction with clapboard siding.
At the west and east gable ends there are corbelled interior brick chimneys and there are

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additional brick chimneys near each end of the north elevation. A one story shed roof
addition spans the west end gable wall (see photo 2).

Photo 2. East elevation showing front of machine shop, clerestory windows and addition on the west
elevation.

The south elevation has regularly spaced window openings with an off-center doorway in
the fifth bay. There are four window openings to the west of the door and three to the east.
The second story of the south elevation has eight regularly space windows. All window
openings have granite lintels and wood sills and framing. The front doorway consists of a
double-leaf wood door with tall vertical single-pane glass and horizontal lower panels. All
windows in the south elevation are twelve-over-twelve wood framed, while the north
elevation and second story of the west elevation have six-over-six windows. The east
elevation has blocked windows at the second story with a twelve-over-twelve window in the
third story. The clerestory has ten pairs of horizontal sliding six pane wood framed windows
regularly spaced spanning the south and north elevations. The north elevation has a doorway
at the fourth bay that enters the second story. The door is wood with lower horizontal panels
and a six pane upper glass. There are wood doors at the west and east gables. The west gable

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door has three lower vertical panels, one upper vertical panel and one large glass pane. The
east gable door is of vertical board construction with a single small upper glass.

The single story shed roof addition has a poured concrete foundation and floor, common
bond brick walls, and rolled asphalt roofing. The south elevation has a twelve-over-twelve
window and a doorway with a double-leaf wood door with lower horizontal panels and four
upper glass panes. The addition has three regular spaced six-over-six windows on the west
elevation and a horizontally place six-over-six window set in the north elevation. The floor
level of the addition is about two feet higher than the main block floor and requires two steps
down when entering the main block.

The Main building block has interior timber framing with 10x 6 beams and 6x6
chamfered posts. The ground floor has a large modern metal I-beam support running the
length of the building and supported by being set into the gable end chimneys. The resulting
space is open with a poured concrete floor, unfinished walls, and modern sheetrock in the
ceiling between the 10x6 beams. A set of modern steps leads to a second floor platform and
continues to the third floor without access to the second story apartments. The two second
story apartments are accessed from the rear northern elevation with two exterior steps. The
apartments are modern but have minimal structural changes leaving the brickwork and
chamfered support posts exposed, and there is a black poured and rolled macadam floor with
chicken wire mesh underneath.

The third floor is one open space, with original wide plank flooring, unfinished walls and
ceiling and exposed rafters from the ridge to the eaves with the exception of the east side of
the third floor which has been enclosed at ceiling and walls, including enclosure surrounding
the interior east gable interior chimney. The west side of the third floor has an exposed
interior gable end chimney that curves at this level from off center to just north of the ridge
as it protrudes though the roof (see drawing 1). The third floor has replacement boarding in
the third bay to from the west that indicates a possible former large trap door or blocked
stairwell access.

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Drawing 1. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop. Section Drawing.

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 At the north elevation exterior is the original head- room pit feeding the water wheel that
powered the industrial equipment. The head-room pit is granite lined and twelve feet below
the northern elevation. Although the canal is now dry and in disrepair, the intake pipe from
the canal is visible and the intake from the head-room to the interior of the building is also
intact. Water from the canal directly behind the building turned the wheel powering the
equipment then flowed through a flume under the building continued under Canal Street via a
tunnel and exited to an earthen spillway and back to the nearby Ashuelot River where it came
from about a half mile upstream (see map 3).

Map 3. 1910 Hinsdale Fire Dept. map. Holman Machine shop at center, with associated
buildings. Note canal to rear of building and 4 foot water pipe crossing Canal Street. Map
shows flume leading into the Ashuelot River at bottom left.

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 The four-by-four foot tunnel from the head-room and wheel pit continues under the
ground level floor and under Canal Street, the tunnel is currently blocked at the southern
side of Canal Street by a sealed doorway and brick enclosure (See photo block 2). This is
accessible but I did not pursue investigation due to the safety concern of confined space
entry.

Photo block 2. Clockwise from top left: Canal looking west towards machine shop. Granite
lined headroom. Water channel leading to river. Exit tunnel under Canal Street.

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 The building originally had roofing of cedar shingles and these are visible beneath the
overlaying slate shingles. The unfinished interiors of the ground floor and third story allow
visual indications of the industrial uses of the building in the past century and a half, and
owner Mark Minkler has initiated basic conservation and structural stabilization of the
building without impacting the ability to see the inner workings of the machine shop. Most of
the machinery was removed from the machine shop in the 1960’s (Sagerman 2007), but
Minkler has saved some of the machinery and tools associated with the industrial works and
has them on display in an adjacent outbuilding, along with historic photos, and some
unrelated antiques and tools. Overall the condition of the building is good considering the
age and close proximity to the street (Sagerman 2007).

The main block is constructed of bricks that are smaller than the bricks from the addition,
the north elevation chimneys and most of the blocked windows and doors. The bricks from
the main block averaged 7 3/4” wide, 1 ¾” high, and 3 5/8” deep, and had mortar that
averaged 3/8” between courses. These were laid in a common bond with a header course
after every tenth stretcher course (see photo block 3). These bricks were smaller than the 8”
wide, 2” high, and 4” deep bricks used for the addition, the north elevation chimneys and
most of the blocked windows and doors. These larger bricks averaged 1/4” mortar between
courses and were easily to distinguish from the older, smaller bricks of the main block.

Photo block 3. Left: Close up of the main structure brick common bond. Right: Detail of
cornice return and larger brick used on the exterior chimney.

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The exterior description and investigation

A photograph from the 1880’s (photo 3), shows a wagon backed up to the front of the
building with a doorway in the third bay of the second story, with a hoist beam protruding
from above the cornice over the now blocked doorway (now a window). Close up photos
from the 1930’s show this second floor doorway intact, but the hoist beam is not visible
above the second floor window. However the 1930’s photo shows a metal hoist beam over
the ground floor entry door (see photo 4). The second story doorway is also visible in the
1942 photo (photo 5) and has since been blocked in to form a window. The bricks used for
blocking the doorway are larger and of more recent manufacture and are noticeable despite
the layers of red paint.

Photo 3. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop 1880’s (Hinsdale Bicentennial Committee).

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Photo 4. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop c.1930. Known as Streeter’s Machine Shop
at the time (Mark Minckler Collection).

Photo 5. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop 1942. Note expanded associated buildings.
(Hinsdale Bicentennial Committee).

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 Other changes to the south elevation are four blocked lower windows or openings with
granite lintels which are blocked to the plinth below. These are about twelve inches high and
are blocked with the newer large bricks. These blocked openings are offset the first floor
windows and may have been for increased lighting needs, however they are concentrated
only on the east side. I theorize these may have been coaling windows for ease of fueling
equipment. Additionally, one of the small blocked openings just to the left of the front entry
doors has twelve inches between granite header and the plinth, but is only ten inches wide.
Minckler states this was a “dung hole” to shovel refuse from oxen and horses into. This is
plausible according to Minckler, as it is directly above the exiting water conduit below. One
visible change to the fabric on the south elevation is the front door. The doors are period
doors but are not original, as Minckler states he purchased and installed them himself. There
are visible signs of brick repairs around the doorway. When Minckler purchased the building
he reports that the entire doorway was breached, leaving the side of the building open about
two feet on either side of the empty doorway. Minckler repaired this himself with what
appears to be bricks from the original fabric or 1840’s era brick, as they closely match in
size. However, the repair is highly visible as the repairs have not been painted while the rest
of the front has a fairly consistent red paint. Historic photos show there to have been a
platform dock in the area of the front door, showing a much shorter opening than the
impressive current 9 foot 3 inch replacement (see photo block 4). On the front façade, the
“Streeters’ Machine Shop and Repairs” sign painted on the front that is visible in photos from
as late as 1942 is currently painted over in a slightly different shade of red. Close inspection
with the right lighting allows the reading of the underlying letters.

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Photo block 5. Clockwise from top left: Small bricked in area to left of entry door. Blocked
lower level window. Current doorway and wall repairs. 1930’s photo (Mark Minckler
Collection) showing loading platform and shorter doorway.

The west gable end has a single story shed roof attached to it. This is most likely built
between 1890-1910, as it is included on maps of 1910, and not visible on photo from the
1880’s. It is constructed of the larger brick size described above. The addition has is a higher
floor level by about two feet and requires two steps down on the main block side to enter the
lower level. This has been described by Minckler as the business office of the machine shop.
There is a blocked window in the addition on the north side of the western elevation of the
main block. This is blocked on the addition side of the window by stringer courses of brick

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and not blocked on the interior side of the main block. This allowed me to measure the
original block brick wall width to be twelve inches thick. The west end gable has an intact
door at the third story that has the broken remnant of a hoist beam above it. Minckler states
that several years ago this beam broke and landed on the shed roof below. With the shed roof
addition, it is likely that the hoist beam and door were only functional for materials handling
prior to the construction of the addition below (see photo block 5). There are three regularly
spaced windows in the second floor of the west end gable, as opposed to two blocked
windows in the east end gable.

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Photo block 5. Clockwise from top left: West gable elevation. South entry door to the
addition. Second and third stories of west gable end. Close-up of third story door with hoist
beam remnant above lintel.

The rear or north elevation is at a higher level than the front as the ground slopes up
naturally and the building is backed into the slope. The canal about twenty feet behind was
constructed by cutting into the slope directly behind the building. About twenty feet of berm
separates the building from the canal. The canal’s southern berm has concrete lining and the
building was constructed by cutting the foundation into the slope of the canal berm. The
north side of the canal was constructed of placed boulders the length of the property but is in
degraded condition. Water from the canal enters the head-room then the building roughly at
the rear center of the building. Entry to the second floor apartments is from the north
elevation ground (canal berm top) by two stairs to the east of the center. The only visible
changes to the north elevation are large blocked windows just above ground level. Large very
rough cut granite lintels are about 65 inches wide and are brick blocked below. Minckler
revealed upon my inquiry that these openings were larger than they appear as there were
formerly concrete window wells that ran the length of the space not taken by the head-room
footings and entry stairway.

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Photo block 6. Clockwise from top left. Canal and berm looking east. Rear elevation showing
clerestory roof. Rear elevation- note automobiles parked on berm. Concrete reinforce canal
berm looking west.

The window wells were filled in after the openings into the structure were blocked with
brick by Minkler after 1992. This solved the problem of runoff water from the roof that was
softening the berm directly behind the building and helped sealed the buildings’ open rear
elevation from winter exposure. Currently there is room to park two automobiles side by side
behind the building on what is the berm and adjacent filled areas between the canal and
building (see photo block 6). The size of these windows beneath the filled window wells will
be discussed in the section on fabric changes to the interior. Exterior chimneys are on the far

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west and east end of the rear of the building and appear of more recent construction with use
of the larger brick and have openings into the ground floor interior space.

The east gable side of the building is visually striking for several reasons. The full three
story gable is exposed for view, the boulder and concrete berm of the canal running east is
immediately adjacent, and there remain visual evidence of blocked windows, doors, and
paint outlines of exterior steps and a previously attached shed roof now removed that appears
outlined on the wall (see photo block 7 and drawing 2). The cornice return is broke off at the
southwest corner in contrast to the cornice return on the northeast corner.

Interior fabric and investigation

The interior first floor has been changed little and gives insight into the industrial space
use and particularly this is an excellent example of early water power use and construction
considering maximization of natural lighting. The interior is still well lit, even with the
blocking of the south elevation windows above the plinth, the east gable side window, and
the west gable window facing the addition. As discussed previously there are large blocked
openings in the rear wall (north elevation). These openings have lintels that are 65 inches
wide and when viewed from the interior the blocked openings are about 48 inches high,
blocked with larger modern bricking. The foundation at the interior north wall is
approximately six foot of thick granite with original brick above.

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Drawing 2. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop. East elevation.

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Photo block 7. Clockwise from top left: East gable end showing blocked doorway. Second story
window expanded to a doorway and subsequently blocked. Remnant of paint indicates position of
exterior stairway to now removed adjacent building. Interior (white) and exterior paint (red) showing

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now removed, attached shed roofline. Cornice return at left broke to accommodate shed roof. Canal
berm east of main block also functioned as rear wall to adjacent sheds and buildings.

The ground floor interior has 10x6 inch exposed joists that are original, two having been
repaired at some time. A large steel I- beam has been added and runs perpendicular to the
original joists and is set into the east and west end interior chimneys for support. There are
modern steel support posts to this I-beam. Any previous support posts and beams have been
removed. Evidence of notches in the original joists may indicate the existence of wood beam
in place near the existing I-beam. The height from floor to ceiling is 11 ½ feet in the ground
floor (see photo block 8).

Photo block 8. Left: Ground floor framing looking east. Right: Ground floor framing looking
west.

The water wheel and associated equipment have been removed and would require more
expert opinion and study to identify, if possible at all, the placement, type and mounting of
the original waterwheel. Much of the evidence is blocked by the bathroom and storage closet
built over the internal area where the wheel pit was and covers the water conduit where it
enters the rear of the building (see drawing 3).

The second story is accessed currently only from the rear entrance, and the third story
only from the first story via a stair to a second floor platform that continues with a stairway

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to the third floor. The second story had little to inform about the building fabric changes due
to modern apartment updates blocking much of the original fabric. A notable exception is that
there are ten foot tall ceilings on the second floor with some intact 6x6 chamfered posts that
remain. Although not original, wire mesh filled with macadam and rolled flat covers some of
the second story original board floors. A cross section of the original flooring is exposed at
the stairwell showing the thickness and construction of the wood flooring (see photo block
9).

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 Drawing 3. Holman and Merriman Machine Shop. Ground floor plan.
Additionally, at the second floor stairwell there is a window that allowed me to measure
the exterior brick wall thickness, which matched the 12 inch thickness for the ground level.

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Photo block 9. Clockwise from top left: Wire with macadam flooring. Second story flooring
construction cross section. Second story exposed beams and chamfered post. Close-up of chamfered
post. Post with chamfers and stops showing.

The third story is mostly unfinished, open and original, especially at the western end.
Clerestory windows allow maximum light access and bracing, posts, rafters, flooring and
pegged joints are visible. There appears to be an opening in the floor at the third bay that may

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have been a stairway or trap door that has been boarded over. The west end gable has an
interior chimney that curves to allow for a centered doorway with remnants overhead of a
hoist beam (see photo block 10). I was also able to determine that the third story gable end
brick wall thickness was reduced to 8 inches thick for the top story. This measurement was
taken at the door frame at the west end doorway.

Photo block 10. Clockwise from top left: Third story clerestory windows. Framing and roof
construction. Close-up of pegged framing. West gable interior showing inserted hoist beam,
and chimney construction.

Documentary evidence

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 Turning to documentary evidence for an understanding of the previous uses of the
building, records show it has been used originally as a cooperage and pail factory, and
machine shop (Sagerman 2007). Over the years it has served many uses including
manufacturing sewing machines, a machine shop, a carbide tool factory, boiler value factory.
Advertisements in the 1870’s show the Holman and Merriman were manufacturers of a
variety of good including turbine water wheels, circular mills, stave saws, jacks, and bench
and press screws (Sagerman 2007). Holman and Merriman’s Machine Shop was reported to
be manufacturing jack and bench screws, water wheels, mill machinery, and engaged in the
repair of manufacturing machinery employing ten people in 1885 (Child 1885:185). A long
history of industrial manufacturing and machine shop work has taken place in this building.
Interior photos show the diverse work and equipment in use in 1942 (see photo block 11).

Photo block 11. Left: First floor looking west 1942. Right: First floor looking east 1942, note
the stairway at top left of photo.

A particularly interesting claim to fame is that the building was home to the invention of
the automobile. Records show that a self-propelled steam vehicle was invented and built at
the site in 1875 by George Long. Long continued his work and patented a vehicle in 1882.
This vehicle is currently in the Smithsonian collection (Keene Sentinel 1986), and the little
known fact is commemorated by a marker citing this as the home of the American
automobile (see photo block 12).

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 There is a wealth of documents about previous owners and specific products
manufactured in the building, but for the purpose of this paper it is sufficient to state that the
overall theme is that the building has been used as an industrial and manufacturing resource
from 1837 to 1981. Documentary maps, photographs, and written histories, and the National
Register of Historic Places application were utilized to inform the above sections on the
building, use, and history.

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Photo block 12. Top left and right: 1883 automobile patent and 1883 automobile (Mark
Minckler collection. Bottom: Plaque commemorating the George Long invention.
Analysis and discussion

The Holman and Merriman Machine Shop is notable architecturally for being one of the
few remaining clerestory-roofed industrial buildings in the region (Sagerman 2007). The
construction of the clerestory roof as well as multiple windows in the lower story allowed
maximum light and ventilation into the building, which was an important factor in industrial
structures in the era before electricity. The subsequent blocking of windows at the lower front
and upper rear ground level indicate a change in natural lighting needs as the advent of
electricity reduced the need for water power, kerosene, and dependence on daylight.
Blocking or sealing openings not needed for lighting may have been a response to a growing
need for machinery space, and heating efficiency may have taken precedence over the former
need for natural lighting. More windows were blocked as the use of the building progressed

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from manufacturing to industrial and this coincided with the change from water power to
electricity.

Why did this building survive when so many industrial buildings in the area of this age are
gone? The successive owners and items manufactured were able to adapt the size and the
layout and entryways are their needs changed. Additional buildings were added to
supplement the older main block, and the sturdy brick structure was adapted to the various
industrial operations. Among changes in access and layout are the following:

The changes in placement and use of hoists in the west gable, the front second story
doorway, then above the front entry doorway and finally between the main brick block and
the adjacent wood framed out buildings are silent testaments to the adaptive use of space as
business needs changed manufacturing materials handling over time. As the manufacturing
needs and capacity changed, hoist beam use moved from the west gable and front second
story window to the front entry door with platform and then to the east door and the
associated adjacent buildings to the east.

Additional changes to the front entry access from ground level to a load platform and back
to a walk in entry over time were as much an adaptation of materials handling changes as the
changes in manufacturing needs. As materials handling progressed from horse drawn
deliveries to the advent of trucks, and hoists and manual lifting devices gave way to forklifts,
so changed the items manufactured and their specific industrial needs. As the manufacturing
output of the structure changed use from a cooperage, sewing machine factory, machine
shop, carbide tool factory, to boiler value factory the building was adapted for the particular
needs of each industry. The stairs or trap door to the third floor may have been designed
specifically for storage and access of cooperage products out the west gable third floor hoist
and doorway. This opening would not have been useful after the west addition blocked the
third floor hoist beam and the third floor stair or trap may have been discontinued.

As the use changed from manufacturing and then to machine shops from 1965 to the
1940’s, access to bring products in and out of the structure necessitated changes to the entry

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of the structure. Changes were made to the front door access, and notably the east second
story window that was expanded to a doorway to connect the adjacent buildings via a
stairway and linking platform. This was most likely in the industrial boom of the World War
Two era that the 1942 picture above shows the adjacent buildings at their largest. These
adjacent detached sheds were in use in the 1880’s and became increasingly larger and more
substantial as the maps from 1910 and the photos from the 1930’s and 1942 indicate. These
wood frames outbuildings allowed for expansion of manufacturing capacity as the economies
and manufacturing needs increased and eventually fell into disuse as the demand for machine
tools and manufacturing industry declined in the region.

The building is a surviving testament to the pre- industrial development of Hinsdale. The
1828 dam and canal depict the development of water power which was instrumental in the
development of the town’s historic manufacturing economy. The Holman and Merriman
Machine Shop is one of the last remaining structures associated with the canal, and with
removal of the 1828 dam in 2001 the Ashuelot River section is now known more for kayak
whitewater recreation than for its long forgotten industrial use of waterpower.

The listing of the Machine Shop on the Register of Historic Places is a noteworthy
achievement, but I feel that the building has more of a story to tell. A story not only of the
industrial significance, or the architectural significance, or the interesting early automobile
invention that all have recognized significance; but a story of the development and decline of
waterpower and early canals of the 19th Century New England industrial landscape and the
impact these changes had on the region. Until this story is more fully researched,
documented, and understood the Holman and Merriman Machine Shop will continue to stand
silent witness to history.

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