Webster Manufacturing
Also known as: Tiffin Malleable Iron and Chain Company
Why it's listed
Webster Manufacturing's plant on Hall Street in Tiffin, Ohio, is a group of one- and two-story brick and aluminum buildings. The first factory unit went up in 1908, after Tiffin's Commercial Club raised $40,000 in twenty days and donated fifteen acres to lure the company from Chicago. It was called the Tiffin Malleable Iron and Chain Company and made elevating and conveying machinery and sprocket chains. The original building has a gable roof with a sawtooth section lit by skylights and windows with metal hoods. The remaining brick buildings date to about 1912 and have common bond walls, pilasters and large multi-pane metal windows. By 1911 the plant covered 200,000 square feet and employed 700 people. The original building still makes chain parts, and the sheet metal shop's overhead crane remains in use. The complex is listed as part of a group of Tiffin industrial buildings showing the city's economic development.
Significance in brief: The complex represents one of Tiffin's most important old industrial concerns, brought to the city after the local Commercial Club raised $40,000 to attract it. Together with the other nominated industrial buildings, it illustrates Tiffin's change from a small agricultural trading center to a specialized industrial city. The original buildings still serve their original purpose.
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 80003231, listed January 7, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 325 Hall St., Tiffin |
|---|---|
| County | Seneca County |
| Listed | January 7, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003231 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The original building is still used to make malleable iron chain parts, and the original overhead crane in the sheet metal fabricating shop is still in use. The company still operates. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.12477, -83.18937 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 80003231.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138678773
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.