Cluett Peabody & Company
Also known as: Mch #h-217
Why it's listed
This brick factory complex at 123 First Street in Leominster, Massachusetts, grew from a 3 1/2-story mill built in 1902, with a boiler plant and chimney behind it. A four-story addition followed in 1937, and a one-story wing was added in 1957. The complex housed Cluett Peabody & Company, a Troy, New York firm that came to Leominster in 1899 to make its Arrow shirts. It was listed for its place in the city's industrial history and for its architecture. The company kept expanding in the 1930s while many local industries declined, and it employed about 600 people, mostly women. Even after other shirt companies closed, it remained an important employer into the 1950s. The 1902 mill combines Georgian Revival touches with a typical mill layout, including granite trim and steel sash windows. The 1937 block shows the clean lines of later industrial plants. The complex was largely vacant when documented, and apartment conversion was proposed.
Significance in brief: The complex is significant for its role in Leominster's industrial development, particularly in keeping shirt manufacturing a leading local industry in the first half of the twentieth century. It is also a well-preserved example of two phases of early twentieth-century industrial construction, the 1902 mill and the 1937 addition.
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 89000439, listed June 8, 1989. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 123 First St., Leominster |
|---|---|
| County | Worcester County |
| Listed | June 8, 1989 |
| Reference number | 89000439 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1901-1937 |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival; other: Industrial Mill Design |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The property has been largely vacant for several years with minimal vandalism or deterioration, and conversion to residential apartments was proposed. |
| Acreage | 3.1 |
| Coordinates | 42.52632, -71.75248 (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 89000439.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5136590
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.