Streets at that time crossing it and running between shops and other Draper facilities. You can also see the lower pond, which was a bit downstream from Hopedale Pond. It was drained by the time the 1901 drawing, a bit further down this page, was drawn. |
Freedom Street goes across this view near the top. Hopedale Street runs from bottom to top on the right. Chapel Street isn't shown on the map, although it's almost certain that it was there by that time. The street that crosses Hopedale Street below the office and ends between the Dutcher Temple Co. and the pond (often known as the Lower Pond), was Social Street. It seems very likely that the Little Red Shop was just to the right of the lumber shed and had an enclosed walkway that crossed the river and connected to the machine shop. The first Northrop looms were sold in 1894, and over the next decade there was a great deal of expansion of the works as sales grew quickly. The street that goes between the woodworking shop and Hopedale Elastic Goods was Union Street. The Hopedale Elastic Goods Co., was managed by William Lapworth. Here's a paragraph about Lapworth from a 1931 Milford News article. While in Hopedale, Mr. Lapworth was a stockholder and general manager for the company 11 years but he was constantly in search for an opening to secure a more modern and larger plant, to which he could build from time to time as the occasion warranted. He finally decided upon Milford and bought up the old storage battery car barns, which he converted into an excellent mill that is part of the Lapworth & Sons plant today. |
the right of the erecting shop.)The pattern safe was evidently moved a bit, or a new one built. In 1896 it was below where Social Street would have been if extended to the left, and below the office. In 1901, it's above an imaginary extension of Social Street and almost directly to the left of the office. Union Street no longer runs to the west of Hopedale Street. Houses on the west end of Union were moved to Freedom Street, where they became known as the Seven Sisters. There are also several other changes that you can see as you compare the two views. |
Thanks to Peter Metzke for sending this clipping. |
The most noticeable change in the 1904 view is the enlargement of the foundry. Note that at that time the shop wasn't right up to the Hopedale Street sidewalk for as far as it is now. It ended between Chapel and Social streets, with the office being set back a bit, and the buildings to the south back from the street even more. |
It doesn't appear that much changed between 1904 and 1907, at least to the extent that can be seen in these drawings. Probably Draper's facilities had caught up with demand for their looms and their other products. |
The new Main Office, shown on the left in this view, was built in 1910-11. |
between shop and office is shown. The building marked "original shop" (Little Red Shop) was moved about a decade earlier. This is the first of these drawings that shows it on the new location, between Progress Street and the pond. |
The Draper Company - 1890 - 1913 Neighborhood east and south of the Draper plant, c. 1890. Now and Then at the Draper Plant West Side Draper Menu HOME . |