Heywood-Wakefield Company Complex

The Heywood-Wakefield Company Complex is an industrial site with multiple brick buildings that span across a large area from Lake Street to Cross Street. The structures display typical 19th-century factory architecture with multistory buildings, some of which are now used for different purposes.

The story starts in 1826 when brothers founded a furniture business that later merged with a rattan company and expanded production. A major fire in 1860 destroyed parts of the complex, but rebuilding in the 1860s led to even better facilities.

The factory buildings show how furniture was made in America and what role this industry played for Gardner. The structures are evidence of how local craftspeople passed down their skills across generations and shaped the town.

The location on Central Street is easy to find and offers access to multiple buildings that can be viewed from outside. The grounds and spaces between the structures allow visitors to explore the area and see the buildings from different angles.

The site was a center of American furniture production and supplied homes across the country with furnishings. The shift from a purely manufacturing operation to a mixed-use area with various businesses shows how old factory sites can reinvent themselves.