The Ames Shovel Shops, also known as Ames Shovel Works or Ames Shovel Shop, is a historic 19th century industrial complex located in

North Easton, Massachusetts Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 25,058 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greater Boston area. Easton is governed by an elected Select Board. Open Town Meeting acts as the legislative bran ...

. It is part of the

North Easton Historic District The North Easton Historic District is a historic district in Easton, Massachusetts encompassing a cohesive village area developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, primarily through the activities of the locally important Ames family. ...

, and consists of several granite buildings constructed between 1852 and 1885, along with several newer additions and outbuildings dating to about 1928. The site is adjacent to the

H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton The H. H. Richardson Historic District of North Easton is a National Historic Landmark District in the village of North Easton in Easton, Massachusetts. It consists of five buildings designed by noted 19th-century architect Henry Hobson Richard ...

, which includes several buildings designed by architect

Henry Hobson Richardson Henry Hobson Richardson, FAIA (September 29, 1838 – April 27, 1886) was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. Along with Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, Richardson is one ...

, commissioned by the Ames family, owners of the shovel company. In April 2009, the shops were named one of the 11 most endangered historic sites in the United States, by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, due to the pending proposal to redevelop the main portion of the site into residences. However, in November 2009, an agreement was reached for a scaled-down development, endorsed by the National Trust. Construction began in April 2012, and was expected to take about 18 months.

Historical background

The Ames Shovel Company traces its origins to 1774 when Capt. John Ames began making iron shovels at West Bridgewater, Massachusetts. His son

Oliver Ames, Sr. Oliver Ames Sr., or "Old Oliver", (April 11, 1779 – September 11, 1863) was the family patriarch of the Ames family of Easton, Massachusetts. He established the family shovel business, which over generations grew to become one of the largest ...

moved the company to North Easton in 1803. In 1844, the elder Ames would transfer the shovel business to two of his sons,

Oakes Oakes may refer to: * Oakes (surname) * Oakes, Huddersfield, England *Oakes, North Dakota, US See also * Oakes test, a legal analysis used in Canada to determine under what situations infringements on rights and freedoms are justifiable ** R. v. Oa ...

and Oliver, Jr., and the company would become known as Oliver Ames & Sons. Within the next few years, gold would be discovered in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1848, and in Australia in 1851, creating a worldwide demand for the company's shovels, which were already known for their high quality. In 1851, the original shovel shop was destroyed by fire. The company would soon rebuild, and by 1852 the first of the new shops had been completed. Strong demand for shovels would continue through this period with the great expansion of railroads and later the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

personally asked Oakes Ames to supply shovels to the Union Army. This made the Ames brothers very wealthy men. The Ames brothers entered politics and became influential in financing the construction of the

Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Paci ...

, as well as the development of the village of North Easton. Expansion of the shovel factory continued over the years until 1928. Ames shovels became standard issue for troops in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

for every conflict from the

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. The Ames Shovel Company ceased production in Easton in 1952. File:Ames-stable 1897.jpg, Ames office & stables (1897) File:Ames Antrim hammer shop.jpg, Antrim hammer shop File:Ames machine shop 1857.jpg, 1857 machine shop File:Ames Handle shop 1870.jpg, 1870 handle shop

Recent history

Since the 1950s the complex has been occupied by a variety of small businesses. The Ames brand is now part of the

Ames True Temper Ames True Temper is a multinational corporation headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Griffon Corporation. Ames True Temper specializes in the manufacture of non-powered lawn and garden products. T ...

Company, headquartered in

Camp Hill, Pennsylvania Camp Hill is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It is southwest of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. The population was 7,888 at the 2010 census. There are many large corporations bas ...

As of early 2009, the main shop complex was the subject of a redevelopment proposal that would significantly alter the site with the demolition of several historic structures and the construction of new residential buildings. In 2008, the site was designated as one of the most endangered historic places in the state b
Preservation Massachusetts
advocacy group. The northernmost building, the 1870 handle shop is currently occupied by the local

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

, and is not part of the redevelopment proposal. The abutting Richardson-designed Old Colony Railroad Station is currently occupied by th
Easton Historical Society
The railroad station sits on a short remaining section of track that runs along the Shovel Shop property only. However, the abandoned rail corridor is currently under consideration for expansion of the MBTA commuter rail line from Stoughton to

Fall River Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

and

New Bedford New Bedford (Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast region. Up through the 17th century, the area was the territory of the Wampanoag Native American pe ...

. As of September 2014, the site has been redeveloped into apartment housing and is now renting apartments. It has undergone considerable redevelopment, while keeping the historic aspect of its buildings. Signs describing the various buildings and their history are in place. There are many walking paths in the area. The railroad station is under consideration for reopening as part of the

South Coast Rail South Coast Rail is a project to build a new southern line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system along several abandoned and freight-only rail lines. The line has been planned to restore passenger rail service between Boston and the cities of Taunton, ...

project, which would bring commuters from

and

through

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

to the current Stoughton station, running through

Back Bay station Back Bay station (also signed as Back Bay · South End) is an intermodal passenger station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is located just south of Copley Square in Boston's Back Bay and South End neighborhoods. It serves MBTA Commuter Rail and ...

Copley Square Copley Square , named for painter John Singleton Copley, is a public square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, bounded by Boylston Street, Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue, and Dartmouth Street. Prior to 1883 it was known as Art Square due to it ...

to South Station, Boston.

References

External links

Stonehill Industrial History CenterBoston Globe Article, November 6, 2008Ames Shovel Company chronologyOur Tools Built America
A timeline of the Ames Shovel Company {{Griffon Corporation Butler–Ames family Buildings and structures in Bristol County, Massachusetts Industrial archaeological sites in the United States Industrial buildings and structures in Massachusetts Historic district contributing properties in Massachusetts National Register of Historic Places in Bristol County, Massachusetts