The Portland daily press., 1881-09-14
PORTLAND STOVE FOUNDRY co.
A Description of the New Works Lo-
Gated on Back Cove.

In 1877 a company was formed in Portland
| called the Portland Stove Foundry Company,
with quarters in the block corner Of Fore and
| Cross streets. The establishment was a pri-
vate enterprise owned by II. M. Lawrence OF
Bans or, and e. j. Clark. The company en-
ployed about ten hands and got out about
thirty stoves week. Later Mr.. Clark sold
his interest to Prentiss Loring of this city, and
he CLARK went back to Troy, N. Y
In September, 1880, the business Of the COM
pany had increased SO rapidly it was deemed
advisable to get an act of incorporation from
the Legislature and form stock company.
This was done and a company organized with
cash capital of $4,000. Mr. James Noyes
was elected President, Mr.. f. NJ Lawrence
Business Manager and Treasurer, and Mr.. j..
B. Gregory, Secretary. In order to accommo-
date the fast growing business land was OBJ
tanned on Back Cove, at the foot of Myrtle
street, and spacious buildings erected These
buildings are now completed and the company
have moved in. Yesterday reporter of the
PRESS was kindly shown over the extensive
works by Mr.. Gregory.
The first building is located close to j. B.
Lang & Co.'s solder factory, at the foot OF
Chestnut street. 1t is three stories in height
10Ox45 feet in size. There are two wide en-
street, and the offices lie between these halls
on The first floor These offices consist of an
inside and outside Office, the latter 45x20 feet,
and ten feet in height. 1t is finished in imita-
ton oak, is heated by steam, lighted by seven
large windows, handsomely furnished with
black walnut desks, has a floor OF hard woods
inlaid, and is provided with large Halls
safe and a telephone. The inner office is the
same height, about 20x6 feet in size, and is not
yet ready for occupancy. There are also clos
cts and other conveniences attached.
The shipping room occupies all the rear Of
the building on the same floor, and is well
lighted by large windows the rear which
command a full view of Deering, and cool
breeze from Back Bay, whose waters ripple
almost to the outer wall. . An elevator takes
the completed stoves to the ware-rooms in the
second and third stories lcb are 100x45
feet in size-where they are stored. The ship
ping room is SO called because here the stoves
are shipped away to fill orders.
uO hOAp puiiuh5 40 ohO P"oeOA s"AN -A'SS--~
ing building, three stories in height and 40x50
feet in size. The upper story is devoted to the
storage of patterns. The second story is used
for the manufacture of the patterns. and car
penter's shop Here are to be seen all kinds
of handsome designs ready for casting. The
first floor is occupied by the hands at work
mounting the different portions of the stoves
as they have come from the scratch shop, so as
to make perfect stoves of them before they are
sent out to the shipping room.
The next building is two storied S5x45 feet
in size. On the first floor is the engine of fif-
teen horse power, with tubular fifty horse
power boiler also the scratch room where the
rough castings are scraped and polished before
they axe sent into the mounting ROOM Over
head, in the second story, is the blower, a No.
4 size, used to fan the fire for the No. fur
mace in the foundry ad joining. There is also
little railway to the ground, by which a car
loaded with coal is drawn up and down to
feed the furnace fires. There is also plat
form scale, on which both the coal and the
iron are weighed before they are placed in the
furnace. OFF the room is large wash room
for the use of the foundrymen, and in the yard
below, large sheds for the storage of coal and
sand.
Next, and adjoining the engine building, is
the foundry, probably the coolest and most
commodious in the country. 1t is 100x65 feet
in size and 40 feet in height to the top of the
dome. 1t is lighted and ventilated by q win
dows in the foundry proper, without counting
those in the dome. Here the cool breezes both
from land and sea are continually circulating
and the room was just comfortably warm yes
terday during the casting.
The company are at present employing Al
men, of which 25 are moulders and 16 in the
other departments. They turn out 30 stoves
and ranges day, and these command ready
sale in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire
and Vermont. They are sold as far west as
North Adams Mass, virtually encroaching on
the ground supposed to be covered by the
great foundries of Troy, N. Y. 1t is evident
that this is but the beginning of a great indus
try for Portland.