National Register of Historic Places

Pamplin Pipe Factory

Pamplin, Appomattox County, Virginia
Listed
November 25, 1980
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
80004169

About this property

Pamplin Pipe Factory, also known as Merrill and Ford, The Akron Smoking Pipe Factory, and The Pamplin Smoking Pipe and Manufacturing Company, is a historic factory and archaeological site located at Pamplin, Appomattox County, Virginia. Located on the property are a wood-framed factory building, a deteriorating brick kiln, and a collapsed brick chimney. It began operation about 1879 and was at one time the largest clay pipe manufacturer in the United States. Under several owners, the factory manufactured pipes through the peak of clay pipe manufacturing, around 1919, and until the business was sold at public auction in 1938. The post-1938 owners changed the focus of the company to novelty and souvenir pipes and retail sale of local home industry handmade pipes, but were unable to make a profit. The company was dissolved in 1952. Clay pipes made at the Pamplin factory have been found in archaeological sites throughout the United States. Clay making tools from the site, and pipes, have been preserved at several locations. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

Location

Pamplin, Appomattox County, Virginia

Categories

INDUSTRYCOMMERCEHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALSOCIAL HISTORY
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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Questions about this property

When was Pamplin Pipe Factory listed on the National Register?

Pamplin Pipe Factory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 25, 1980.

What type of historic resource is Pamplin Pipe Factory?

Pamplin Pipe Factory is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pamplin Pipe Factory?

The period of significance for Pamplin Pipe Factory is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Pamplin Pipe Factory?

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