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44-397: The mill property is part of a land grant named Ridgeley's Forest, surveyed on June 3, 1685, by Colonel Henry Ridgley , a future justice of the peace for Anne Arundel who arrived in the colonies in 1659. The property was occupied by Alexander Warfield's (1677-1745) son who transferred it to his cousin, Alexander Warfield (of John) (1704-1740). In 1750, Alexander constructed an early mill along

88-497: A bill calling " for the erecting and repairing of Arsenals and Magazines ". President George Washington , given wide latitude in carrying out this order, selected Harpers Ferry, then a part of Virginia , for the location of the Harpers Ferry National Armory. George Washington believed that an inland location would be more defensible against foreign military attack. However, his friends had an interest in

132-537: A colorful career as a sailor, merchant and privateer ranging from Philadelphia harbor to Jamaica. He acquired the land we know as Savage when it was still part of Anne Arundel county, referencing it in letters as being at "Elkridge" (The name the nearest port at Elkridge Landing ). In 1809, Nathaniel F. Williams (1782-1864) married Caroline Barney, daughter of Joshua Barney, who lived at the Commodore Joshua Barney House built in 1760. The mill

176-530: A machinist at the mill developed a machine for reeling and twisting silk that was taken to Washington for a patent The same year, a case of Small Pox struck at least 30 persons. In October 1832, Amos Williams moved to the mill site with a salary of $ 300 a year to entertain business clients. By this time the cotton mill site had a grist mill, saw mill, machine shop, foundry, blacksmith shop, wheelwright shop, brick-making facility, farm, rental houses and company store. That year, Joseph Bancroft used parts manufactured by

220-638: A portion of the Thomas Snowden's property on the Hammond Branch was added to divert water. The same year the company provided slabbing engines, turning lathes and gear cutters to the Harpers Ferry Armory , location John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry . From 1836 to 1843, The Savage Manufacturing Company started its own currency with scrip amounts of 25 cents, 50 cents and one dollar. On June 6, 1839 Amos A. Williams resigned due to

264-561: A sickness that would last until 1844, leaving control of the company to his brother Cumberland Dugan Williams. During his sickness, the company developed "Baldwin's Cotton, Hay and Tobacco press which was manufactured onsite for sales in the Southern states and the Rechm planing machine. Additional land was purchased by the mill on November 28, 1843, for $ 4,755 that included property from Mr. Lambert and William Worthington for firewood and ore for

308-457: A well-integrated functional unit that improved the flow of work from one stage of production to the next. All the expansions of the armory were done on heavy stone foundations and included cast-iron framing in the general style of "factory Gothics" architecture. In addition, more people were employed to work at the armory than before: the labor force increased from a minuscule twenty-five in 1802 to about four hundred workers in 1859. Furthermore,

352-631: Is the only one of its kind left. In 1859, William Henry Baldwin Jr. (1821- ) of the Talbot Jones Co. (Woodward Baldwin & Co.) took over operations as the Savage Manufacturing Company, purchasing the land and factory for $ 42,000. From 1861 to 1862 the mill closed due to lack of raw cotton from the Southern states during the civil war . The mill was managed by William Henry's son Carroll Baldwin from 1905 to 1918 merging with

396-584: The Civil War , the Armory had 400 employees. As of that date, the Armory had manufactured some 600,000 firearms. During the American Civil War , the Armory was destroyed and its equipment removed; it was not rebuilt. The only surviving building is its former fire engine house, known today as John Brown's Fort . As of 2021, it is not in its original location. In 1794, the U.S. Congress passed

440-545: The Potomac Company , which influenced his decision to locate the armory. In 1796, the United States government purchased a 125-acre (0.51 km ) parcel of land from the heirs of Robert Harper. Subsequently, in 1799, construction began on the national armory. Three years later, mass production of military arms commenced. The national armory at Harpers Ferry was actually the second national armory. The first

484-683: The United States Armory and Arsenal at Harpers Ferry , was the second federal armory created by the United States government; the first was the Springfield Armory . It was located in Harpers Ferry, Virginia , which since 1863 has been part of West Virginia . It was both an arsenal , manufacturing firearms, and an armory, a storehouse for firearms. Along with the Springfield Armory, it was instrumental in

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528-666: The Civil War, the armory became a site of great strategic importance because it was located very close to the Mason-Dixon line , or the border between the free and the slave-holding states. Consequently, the Union used it as an effective means to supply troops with weapons quickly as they marched into battle. The downside to being on the border was that the armory could easily change hands and fall into Confederate control–the town of Harpers Ferry changed hands at least eleven times during

572-542: The Civil War. Due to the degree of damage to the armory during the Civil War, the U.S. government decided not to re-establish the armory at Harpers Ferry, instead focusing the quickly developing areas west of the Mississippi River. Today the site is mostly covered by railroad track embankments. John Brown's Fort was the only building to survive the destruction wrought upon it by the Confederates and

616-709: The Kingston, Jamaican born John Savage II(1790-1831), of the Philadelphia shipping firm Savage & Dugan . Savage was also known for his association with the old United States Bank. A close family association to the founders of Savage and Dugan is evident in Cumberland Dugan Williams naming. Savage financed the Williams brothers the money to start the business and bought the mill outright in 1823 for $ 6,667.67. James E. P. Boulden In December 1821

660-679: The New York-based Baldwin, Leslie and Company. In 1918 the company was renamed Leslie Evans and Company after Baldwin's death. Harry M. Leslie (1880-1945) managed the Savage Mill, the Hart Cotton Mill of Tarboro, North Carolina , Postex Cotton Mills of Post, Texas and Clinchfield Manufacturing Company of Marion, North Carolina . Workers from the factory worked 6 days a week in 10 hours shifts and were issued company scrip in various denominations that were usable in

704-558: The Patuxent on two sides that was not purchased by the county as part of Savage Park. Buzzutto homes proposed a housing project called the Settlement at Savage Mill which included significant grading changes and donations of land by the parks department to the developer to maximize density, which was opposed by a referendum attempt. The 7000-person referendum attempt was suppressed by the landowners' attorney, William Erskine, who sits on

748-412: The Union forces. It was the armory's fire engine and guard house, which Brown and his raiders barricaded themselves in . It was given the name of John Brown's Fort after the war. This building has been moved four times. The first time, freeing up the site for the railroad to use for an embankment, it was moved to Chicago, where it was displayed at the 1893 Columbian Exposition . Abandoned after that, it

792-642: The United States. However, once the Civil War began, the national armory became a vital control point for both the Confederates and the Union . Close to the beginning of the war on April 18, 1861, just a day after Virginia's conventional ratification of secession, Union soldiers, outnumbered and deprived of reinforcements, set fire to their own armory in an attempt to thwart the usage of it by an advancing Virginian Confederate militia numbering 360 men in all. Harpers Ferry residents (many of whom made their living off

836-428: The armory produced 11,855 arms. Each decade after that, production declined. The building relied on river power to drive the armory's machinery. In 1844, the deficient state of the armory was taken into account and demand for military equipment increased, and so the renovation and expansion of the armory was undertaken. The upgrades of the arsenal began in 1845–1854 with the construction of seven brand new workshops and

880-515: The armory) were able to put out the fires swiftly enough to save most of the armory's weapon-making machinery. After rescuing the equipment from the fire, the Confederates stole the equipment and shipped it south by rail to Winchester, Virginia , and from there to Richmond, and use the machinery in the newly reopened, Confederate central government-run Richmond Armory . The South had virtually no small-arms production and an inadequate supply of raw materials. The machinery taken from Harpers Ferry became

924-414: The best and largest establishment in the country." Most workers were women who were on lockdown throughout their shifts posing a risk of certain peril if a fire broke out. A messenger would deliver notes if communications were needed or they could speak through a small window in the locked door. By 1829 Amos Williams combined "Whites Contrivance", "Brothers In Partnership", and "Williams Discovery" to expand

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968-529: The civil war, the mill remained segregated through most of its industrial history. The oldest remaining mill structure is the stone carding and spinning building, probably built between 1816 and 1823. The mill was expanded by the Baldwins before 1881, and that expansion included the brick tower with Romanesque overtones. Other buildings include the weaving shed, preparation area, paymaster's office, and several early-20th century warehouses and power plants. After

1012-459: The corner of Route One and Gorman Road. The Carol Baldwin Hall was used for sales of Christmas products. Several picket fenced homes along the tree-lined Baltimore Avenue were demolished for the operation. Production included 65 million Christmas tree globes produced onsite with 400 workers. This business was relatively short lived. Efforts to rename the town to Santa Heim did not go through, nor did

1056-558: The development of machining techniques to make interchangeable parts of precisely the same dimensions. The Armory was a long, narrow complex of buildings, located alongside the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line on a strip of land alongside the Potomac River . The entrance was close to the center of town, with its train station and hotels, and the bridge, the B & O Railroad Potomac River Crossing . At its peak, just before

1100-596: The economic development agency as well as the same law firm as County Executive Ken Ulman 's father. Colonel Henry Ridgley Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 220138662 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:44:12 GMT Harpers Ferry Armory The Harpers Ferry Armory , more formally known as

1144-581: The foundation of the Confederate arms manufacturing. Two weeks later, the Confederates abandoned Harpers Ferry, while also confiscating what was left in the Armory and burning the rest of the remaining buildings. They also blew up the railroad bridge of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , but returned in two weeks to destroy the Rifle Works and a bridge that crossed the Shenandoah river. During

1188-555: The furnace operations. In 1846, The Savage Manufacturing Company sold existing or manufactured looms and steam power engines for the Powhatan Company in Baltimore. In 1848, Amos A. Williams entered ligation against the Savage Manufacturing Company and his brothers George, Cumberland and Nathanial claiming they tried to force him into poverty from indebtedness during his illness. The mill had a good source of water power, but

1232-447: The installation of 121 new machines. The new workshops had a brick superstructure with iron framing and slanted sheet metal roofing. These reconstructed arsenal buildings became collectively known as the "U.S. Musket Factory". The armory canal was enlarged so that more water could get to the armory, which meant it would receive more power. Along with the enlargement of the canal, seven new water turbines were installed. The upgrades formed

1276-572: The lull in operations between World War I and World War II, the B&;O discontinued its Patuxent rail spur service upstream to the quarries at Guilford, Maryland , leaving Savage at the end of the line. In 1939, Savage still operated as a "company town" under less progressive standards, with the Savage Manufacturing Company stipulating that land it considered donating to the county for a school never be sold for use by an African American, another business, or sales of wine or spirits. Throughout World War II

1320-436: The mill as a collection of restaurants, specialty shops, and antique dealers. In 1991, The State of Maryland and Howard County loaned Savage Mill Limited Partnership $ 900,000. The partnership declared bankruptcy in 1994. This has been expanded over the years to encompass five of the larger buildings in the complex. In 2010, tourism numbers for the mill surpassed one million. A series of zip lines and rope obstacles were built along

1364-458: The mill closed it was bought by Harry Heim for $ 450,000 who converted it into Santa Novelties, manufacturing Christmas ornaments, featuring a Christmas Display Village named "Santa Heim" (Santa's Home) which opened in December 1948. It featured live reindeer, a one ring circus, and a miniature train that carried guests to the mill from a parking lot on U.S. Route 1 . A turreted castle was built at

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1408-433: The mill produced heavy duck for canvas, hoses, refining and sails and community power from the waterwheel. The demand for canvas dropped considerably after the war, and the mill was scheduled to be shut down 1 January 1948. At time the 400 acre complex employed 372, consisted of twelve industrial buildings and 98 houses owned and rented by the mill. Although there were early records of using African American apprentices prior to

1452-549: The mill race creating Terrapin Adventures. In 2015 the mill drew regional publicity after the owner of Rams Head was convicted for videotaping women in a bathroom. In 2013, the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning issued a comprehensive zoning update that included zoning changes to allow density increases for the "Savage remainder" property. The five acre plateau of woodland with steep drops to

1496-517: The mill to establish a mill in Rockdale, Pennsylvania. In 1835 the post office moved from Waterloo to Savage Factory. In 1837, a furnace purchased for $ 8,000 operated on the mill property but managed separately by Amos A Williams, Cumberland Dugan Williams and Thomas Landsdale. After a drought in June 1836, the company decided to operate a lower cost wagon path to connect to the new B&O railroad and

1540-534: The mill town to 980 acres. The parcel was named "Conclusion", which was joined with Charles Alexander Warfield 's "Wincopin Neck" upstream to form a dam on the Little Patuxent River , which runs adjacent to the mill property. Money was loaned to by additional land from Mrs. Dorsey. Amos managed the company at the time from an office in Baltimore on Calvert street just west of Lexington. In 1831, Mr. Hack,

1584-489: The mill was chartered as the Savage Manufacturing Company. The main product was cotton duck , used for sailcloth and a wide variety of other uses. On March 26, 1824, $ 12,000 was loaned from the Bank of Baltimore to expand operations. The mill had established itself early on as a premier site of manufacturing product and machinery for the east coast as noted in an 1825 letter from Daniel Lammott to E.I. Du Pont stating "it would be

1628-405: The only store in the village on Commerce street that was also owned by the company. In 1880, steam engines were installed. In 1911 The Savage Manufacturing Company Patented a process for drying paper using its cotton duck product. Notable factory workers at the mill included Horatio Gambrill of Druid Mills, David Carroll of Mt. Vernon Mills, and Baltimore mayor Samuel Hinks . In February 1928, in

1672-576: The plan for a hotel and artificial lake with a waterfall. In 1950 the mill was purchased by Albert Winer and his brothers Samuel, Hyman, and Ephraim who used for warehousing by the National Store Fixture Company. In 1975, Winer unsuccessfully attempted to rezone the mill property from industrial to business while starting a restoration attempt. The initial restoration was completed by September 1981. In 1985 Albert Winer's son Jay Winer founded Savage Limited Partnership and reopened

1716-510: The river at the falls and passed it along to his sons Brice Warfield and John Worthington. The mill was not run profitably and was sold to Francis Simpson (1721-1804) along with portions of "Warfields Range" along the Little Patuxent in 1760. Simpson acquired several local plantation properties and was noted in the 1790 and 1800 Anne Arundel County Census having 16-17 enslaved people working for him by 1800. Commodore Joshua Barney had

1760-494: The river was unnavigable for delivery. Horses and mules were used to deliver the product to market. In March 1835 the Savage Railroad Company was incorporated by Amos and Cumberland Williams and other investors with $ 15,000 in stock to bring a rail spur to the mill off the Patuxent branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad , and in the 1870s a Bollman Truss Bridge was moved to the spur. This bridge survives and

1804-418: The working conditions improved, but only slightly. In 1859, the armory became the site of the famous seizure by abolitionist John Brown , which, while unsuccessful in inciting a slave revolt, helped precipitate the American Civil War and the eventual emancipation of slaves in the United States. While Virginia was still in the Union , the armory regularly shipped manufactured weapons and material throughout

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1848-581: Was moved back to a farm near Harpers Ferry. From there, it was moved to the place it was the longest, and where it was most honored: Storer College , a school established for freedmen in Harpers Ferry, which also was given by Congress the Arsenal managers' housing, set back on Camp Hill. The Fort remained at Storer until after the College closed in 1955, contributing greatly to Harpers Ferry's role as

1892-583: Was started next to the Barney house in 1810 by brothers Nathanael F. Williams, Amos Adams Williams (1776-), Cumberland Dugan Williams (1781-) and George Williams (1778-). Shortly after starting the enterprise, Joshua Barney and Nathaniel Williams participated in the War of 1812, with Nathanial becoming wounded at the Battle of North Point and Barney wounded at the Battle of Bladensburg . The mill and town were named after

1936-490: Was the Springfield Armory , constructed in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1794 after Congress approved the bill to create the nation's first national armory. Upon its grand opening, the armory's size seemed inadequate for a work force. It consisted of only one room, and the workers numbered a mere twenty-five. Nevertheless, the armory produced many muskets, rifles, and later pistols for the United States. Between 1821–1830

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