National Clothespin Factory, building in Vermont, United States
The National Clothespin Factory is a three-story wooden factory building in Montpelier, Vermont, constructed in 1918 with a flat roof and many windows. It once housed the last clothespin manufacturer in the country and still retains original features, including a Philadelphia-made elevator and a small corner tower.
The factory was built in 1918 as part of an industry that started in 1887 when the United States Clothes Pin Company was founded; it later became the National Clothespin Company under Allen D. Moore, whose improved spring designs made production cheaper. It was the last clothespin factory in the country when it closed in 2003, after cheap imports and widespread electric dryers reduced demand.
The factory was deeply linked to Montpelier's everyday life and helped shape the town as a center for local craftsmanship. Today, the building reminds visitors how simple products and skilled labor shaped a whole community's identity.
The building sits in an industrial area near the Winooski River and railroad tracks on Granite Street, southeast of downtown Montpelier. It is easily accessible on foot and still displays many original architectural features, though it is no longer in operation and has been adapted for other uses.
The factory was once the largest supplier of clothespins to every Woolworth store across the country, making Montpelier an unlikely center for this everyday item. Less known is that it later diversified to produce toothpicks, plastic clothespins, and diaper pins to keep up with changing market needs.
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