O'Hara Waltham Dial Company
Why it's listed
Built in 1897 at 74 Rumford Ave. in Waltham, this three-story, L-shaped brick plant housed the O'Hara Waltham Dial Company, the only firm in the city devoted exclusively to making watch dials. Daniel O'Hara, a Cincinnati native, and Edwin Wetherbee, both former American Watch Company employees, founded the business, which also produced enamel dials for gas, electric and water meters, counting wheels and even political campaign buttons. Employment peaked near 2,000 during World War I, and the firm closed in the late 1950s, after which Eagle Signal Corporation took over the factory. Architecturally, the building shows brick piers, multipane wood windows, header brick lintels and an arched center entrance. Panelled corner towers were added after 1900, and a one-story west wing came later. The plant is valued for its place among Waltham's watch-industry buildings and as a late 19th-century industrial design, and it is in good condition.
Significance in brief: It is one of Waltham's many buildings tied to 19th-century watch manufacturing and was the only company in the city devoted exclusively to plain and hand-decorated watch dials and precision glass, enamel, china and porcelain work. It is also a somewhat altered but distinctive example of late 19th-century brick industrial architecture with panelled corner towers. It was found to meet criteria A and C.
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 89001533, listed September 28, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 74 Rumford Ave., Waltham |
|---|---|
| County | Middlesex County |
| Listed | September 28, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89001533 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Late 19th century brick industrial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is described as good; the building is in industrial use and was later owned by a canvas and luggage manufacturer after the dial company closed in the late 1950s. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Within district | American Waltham Watch Company Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.36845, -71.24330 (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 89001533.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7071813
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.