Royal Typewriter Company Building

The Royal Typewriter Company building was an industrial factory with seven broad pavilions made of brick that extended from New Park Avenue toward the street. The structure used traditional load-bearing construction methods and is registered on the National Register of Historic Places.

The factory opened in 1907 and made Hartford a leading center of typewriter manufacturing alongside the Underwood Company. Production ended in 1972 as mechanical typewriter technology became obsolete.

The building featured Gothic crenellations and decorated towers that turned an industrial factory into an architectural landmark. These ornamental details reveal how manufacturing spaces once blended practical function with artistic expression.

The site at 150 New Park Avenue now holds a shopping center with a plaque marking the building's industrial past. The location is straightforward to visit and the marker makes the historical context clear for anyone stopping by.

Edward Hess founded the company in 1904 and developed 140 patents for typewriter innovations while working there. These inventions significantly contributed to improvements in typewriter technology and its wider adoption.

GPS coordinates: 41.75194,-72.70972

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:21