National Register of Historic Places

Spaulding Manufacturing Company

Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa
Listed
December 21, 1978
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
78001257

About this property

The Spaulding Manufacturing Company is a complex of historic buildings located in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. Vermont native H.W. Spaulding settled in Grinnell in 1876 to open a blacksmith and wagon repair shop. Not long after, he started to manufacture wagons. Because of his modest success he entered into a series of partnerships over the years. The oldest building in the complex was completed around 1880, and the company grew to a complex of five buildings. The last building was completed in 1910, and has a masonry chimney that originally rose to 110 feet (34 m) high. All the buildings are brick construction, and they range in height from two floors to three floors. As modes of transportation began to change, so did Spaulding. The company began manufacturing automobiles. They were one of several early automobile manufacturers that had existing operations that manufactured bicycles, wagons, and carriages. They went out of business in 1929. Since that time the facility has housed a variety of small-scale manufactures, and even a veterinary clinic. Part of the plant was renovated and now houses the administration offices for the City of Grinnell and displays for the Iowa Transportation Museum, which is now closed due to a variety of financial issues. The largest buildings of the manufacturing complex were renovated and converted into the Spaulding Lofts apartments. The complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Location

500--610 4th Ave., 827--829 Spring St.
Grinnell, Poweshiek County, Iowa
41.74330, -92.72599

Categories

INDUSTRY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Grinnell Historic Commercial District
Industrial
0 mi
Merchants' National Bank
Industrial
0.1 mi
Bowers and McDonald Office Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Pioneer Oil Company Filling Station
Industrial
0.1 mi
Grinnell Herald Building
Industrial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Spaulding Manufacturing Company listed on the National Register?

Spaulding Manufacturing Company was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Spaulding Manufacturing Company?

Spaulding Manufacturing Company is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Spaulding Manufacturing Company?

The period of significance for Spaulding Manufacturing Company is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Spaulding Manufacturing Company?

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