Barrows, H.F., Manufacturing Company Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1905 at the corner of South Washington and Chestnut Streets, this red brick, L-plan building served as headquarters and factory for H. F. Barrows & Co., a North Attleborough jewelry firm known for rolled-gold watch chains. A two-story office block with granite trim sits at the corner beneath a three-stage clock tower, while one-story manufacturing wings extend along both streets with arcaded walls and corbelled cornices. Inside, the office area has wood wainscot, a fireplace and a Seth Thomas wall clock, while the factory wings are open spaces with cast-iron columns. The firm, founded by Henry Francis Barrows Sr., stayed in family hands until 1951 and produced jewelry here until it moved to Rhode Island in 1999. The building is recognized for its place in the town's jewelry industry and for its prominent, carefully articulated design that separated office and manufacturing functions. It is currently vacant.
Significance in brief: It is significant locally for industry as the home of one of North Attleborough's longer-lived and important gold-jewelry manufacturers. It is also significant for architecture as a stylishly designed corporate headquarters in which office and manufacturing functions are visibly distinguished. Its corner clock tower, siting and arcaded brick walls set it apart from other jewelry factories in town.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 01000907, listed August 30, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 102 S. Washington St., N. Attleborough |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | August 30, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000907 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1905-1951 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Other: Industrial Romanesque |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed current function is vacant; the company relocated to Lincoln, Rhode Island, in 1999. The tower clock was restored to working order in 1996. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.97942, -71.33290 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 01000907.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5627925
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.