Reed and Barton Complex, Taunton, Massachusetts, NRHP-listed in Bristol County

Reed and Barton Complex is a factory site in Taunton, Massachusetts, spanning 14 acres along the Mill River with brick buildings constructed starting around 1830. The complex includes long factory buildings built close to the water, office and showroom buildings with mansard roofs, and two worker houses from 1855.

Henry Reed and Charles Barton founded their business in 1830, initially making pewterware before incorporating as a corporation in 1888 and expanding into silver goods. The company operated for over 190 years until declaring bankruptcy in 2015, marking the end of a major industrial era in Taunton.

The name Reed & Barton reflects its founders, whose work brought renown to Taunton and the surrounding region. The city earned the nickname 'Silver City' because of the silversmithing businesses that developed around this factory, showing how deeply the craft shaped local identity.

The complex is located about an hour south of Boston near Route 24 and Interstate 95 with good train access for visitors. Large windows provide natural light throughout, and passenger and freight elevators along with loading docks make movement around the site easy and accessible.

After closing, extensive records were preserved through deliberate effort: Harvard University houses business notes, the Rhode Island School of Design holds design drawings, and the Old Colony History Museum maintains physical objects from operations. This distributed preservation led to the creation of a comprehensive online archive accessible worldwide.

• Location: Massachusetts
• Address: West Britannia Street, Barton Street, Danforth Street
• GPS coordinates: 41.91806,-71.10167
• Latest update: February 9, 2026 08:19