312 E. Main II
Address: 312 E. Main- MI Hometown
Date Built: 1909 Owners: A. H. Peckham, H. A. Peckham and R. J. Flanagan Builder: A. W. Morgan 1st business: Lowell Auto Body Company The Lowell Auto Body Factory was built in 1909 the same year as the new City Hall across the street. It was made of brick on a concrete foundation, two stories high. Also erected was a powerhouse, dry kiln and bending room. This block, known as The Old Wooden Row, was the first business block in town. It contained 12 wooden buildings. A fire in 1907 destroyed five of the buildings so the Peckham family, owners of the Lowell Cutter Company, bought the lots and built a factory to manufacture wooden auto bodies for Austin, Dort-Durant and Buick. The Peckhams had previously turned down Henry Ford’s offer to purchase their Cutter Factory to build his automobiles because they thought Ford was a fly-by-night operator. Lowell Auto Body was the Peckham’s bid to move from making cutter bodies into auto manufacturing. This factory was used from 1910-1913 to manufacture wooden auto bodies using the same processes that were used to make wooden cutter (sleigh) bodies in their Cutter Company buildings that were located on S. Monroe St. extending west to the Flat River. However, by 1911, metal bodies for cars were considered the best, consequently wooden ones were obsolete. In 1920, Ypsilanti Reed of Ionia purchased the factory to manufacture woven reed furniture. One item that they made exclusively was the baby buggy. In 1925, Superior Furniture Co of Grand Rapids bought the factory but went bankrupt in 1935. In 1936, a new Superior Furniture Company formed and made an elite line of solid cherry wood furniture that became “famous” around the world. This company was highly successful and remained in business for 73 years until 2009. MI Hometown Furnishings opened here in 2017. Images: Lowell Auto Body Factory 1910 Buick- wooden auto bodies were made here. Baby Buggies were made in Lowell by Ypsilanti Reed (1924). Notice this one being pushed along Lowell’s sidewalks. The map of Superior Furniture Co. factory in 1938 shows a railroad siding along the east side of the building as the Packing & Shipping room was in the northeast corner. Superior Furniture: Making and dovetailing drawers for these dressers. Applying the hand-rubbed finish. Dogsleds were made at Superior during WWII for the US Government war effort. |