It’s been 100 years since the building that takes up a large portion of Main Street in Somersworth was completed and it has stood the testament of time over all those years. Although its uses may have changed over the years, most of us that recall the days before 2015 when the iconic General Electric sign was removed from atop the building. It will always remain the GE building.
Although originally built by the Great Falls Manufacturing Company, the building would only serve its intended use as a textile mill for a few short years. The original plan called for several similar structures to span the length of the canal that runs aside Main Street and as a consequence, the project would earn the nickname of ”The Taj Mahal of the textile industry.”
The magnificent six-story Art Deco cement structure would be sold to the Dwight Manufacturing Company in 1928 and they would operate the structure until 1931 when they, much to the dismay of many in the city, would transfer their business to Chicopee, Mass and the grand old lady would stand empty for the next ten years.
It was in 1941 that the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard would annex the old mill and it would become a vital part of the second World War effort. According to local legend, the building was used in the production of torpedo parts but I have not been able to officially confirm this.
When the war ended in 1945 so did the shipyard’s need for the building, but at that time the General Electric Corporation had shown some interest in perhaps using the Somersworth building as a plant which could produce meters. They would, according to official records, first begin on a small scale with just seven employees in the building adjacent to the larger one. By 1947, the number of employees in that building had risen to 150 and it would be that year that the decision was made to purchase the grand old lady of Main Street.
By December of 1947, those 150 employees were busy producing electric meters in the building. By 1965, the meter department of GE would employ an average of 1,515 men and women, and the payroll is recorded as having totaled some $9.4 million per year. By this time just as the Great Falls Manufacturing Company had before General Electric had established itself as the economic powerhouse that fueled Somersworth.
Over the next 20-plus years, Somersworth would pioneer many meter innovations including the Watthouse meter which is what the Somersworth plant could become best known for within the company and beyond.
For the next 50 years, GE was a force for good in Somersworth and the surrounding community. The building and those employed in it would soon spawn a multitude of subsidiary businesses. Indeed Main Street could boast jewelry stores, supermarkets, hardware stores and just about everything in between.
The building itself would undergo many modifications over its 70-year span with General Electric and many additions would be added. These additions have over the years made the original structure hard to recognize but when you strip it down to its original design you are left with a beautiful example of a classic 1920 Art Deco building.
I, like many, can still recall the day in 2015 when I stood along with others and watched the 8-foot-high letters that symbolized a lifetime of work for many Somersworth seniors came down. One by one, the iconic electric red letters were lowered to the floor and transported to upstate New York where they are displayed in the GE museum.
What the future holds for the venerable old lady of Main Street still remains to be seen as Aclara gets ready to vacate the building. We can only hope that a developer with vision and forethought can see the potential in this iconic Somersworth staple.
Another building on Main Street that has for many years been a staple is the old Boston and Maine railroad station. Many recall the days of Station 319 when the station would be a favorite watering hole for many Somersworth citizens. Today the building holds Gravy, a restaurant that specializes in poutine as well as other comfort type foods with a twist. For many years the building has been owned by one landlord and the news that he had sold the property was met with some jubilation as the community considered the possibilities. Gravy, according to Chef and owner Mark Segal, has no intention of moving from the building and is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for both the building and the restaurant itself.
As the saying goes, as one door closes, another opens. Only time will tell what the future holds for these two iconic Somersworth buildings and I for one am looking forward to seeing what that future is.
That’s all I have for this week so until next week please be kind to one another (especially retail workers) as you never know what someone else is dealing with.