Old Weir Stove Company
Why it's listed
Along W. Water Street and the Three Mile River in Taunton's Weir Village, a linear row of brick factories rises from one to four stories. Built in 1902 on the site of an old flagstone factory, the complex housed the Weir Stove Company and was described at the time as having no equal this side of Detroit. Its backers were Charles F. Baker, William E. Walker and George E. Wilbur, three patternmakers, inventors and moulders who perfected the Glenwood Range and sold it worldwide. Pig iron brought from Buffalo and Pennsylvania supplied production of about 80,000 stoves a year, giving Taunton prominence as a stove-making center. The buildings follow typical Insurance Mill design, with low-pitched gable roofs, paired arched windows, and load-bearing brick walls with heavy timber framing. The massive scale and river setting reflect the city's industrial heritage. The complex was listed for its historical association with manufacturing in Taunton and for its architecture, and it was still occupied by tenant industries when documented.
Significance in brief: The complex was the largest and most impressive industry in Weir Village and helped make Taunton a leading stove producer, turning out about 80,000 stoves a year. It shows typical "Insurance Mill" construction. The nomination cites criteria A and C and notes the buildings retain integrity.
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 84002194, listed July 5, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W. Water St., Taunton |
|---|---|
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | July 5, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84002194 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | "Insurance Mill" industrial construction: low-pitched gable roofs, arched paired windows, load-bearing brick and heavy timber framing |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied by a silver company and other tenant industries at the time of the form. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 41.88302, -71.09192 (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.
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 84002194.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7085396
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.