The Reed Manufacturing Company complex, a 1903 brick industrial facility in Newark, has been formally added to the New York State Register of Historic Places and is advancing toward a national listing. The historic site, once a thriving center of Newark’s early 20th-century metalware industry, is notable for its contributions to industrial architecture and local economic development.
The Reed complex, located on Harrison Street, represents one of the few remaining examples of early industrial architecture in Wayne County. The five-acre site includes two main buildings: a three-story manufacturing plant and an adjacent two-story office structure. Built to accommodate Reed’s growing production needs, the factory specialized in enamel-coated tinware products, including widely popular wash boilers and kitchenware. Reed’s success made the complex a critical part of Newark’s economy in the early 1900s, distributing household goods across the United States, with contracts from the U.S. War Department and leading hospitality clients like Pullman Palace rail cars.
Reuben M. Reed founded the company in 1890 after patenting a rust-resistant tin coating process, which positioned Reed Manufacturing as an early leader in durable enamelware production. Initially a modest operation, Reed quickly expanded, and in 1903, the company built this larger facility in response to rising demand and a backlog of orders. Designed with significant fire safety features, including a water tower and sprinkler system, the factory exemplified modern industrial construction techniques of the period, blending timber framing with steel-supported expansive windows for maximum daylight.
Architecturally, the Reed complex captures the transition in industrial building styles with its robust brick piers, large steel-reinforced window openings, and H-shaped factory layout. The headquarters building, set close to Harrison Street, presents an architectural contrast with its refined brownstone base and symmetrical brick design. It housed administrative functions and, during the 1950s, became home to the “House of Cosmetics,” a museum dedicated to cosmetics developed by later owners, C.H. Stuart Company.
The plant ceased operations in 1946 and changed hands over the decades, with C.H. Stuart’s purchase marking the last major expansion. Today, the complex remains largely vacant, though portions have been leased over the years for small manufacturing and office operations. Its current owner, Graybill Real Estate, has preserved the building’s historical integrity, maintaining the original brick façade and structural layout.
Plans for historic tax-credit-funded restoration are underway, with potential uses including affordable housing, bringing new life to a site that symbolizes Newark’s industrial heritage.
Check out the full-draft plans below.
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