Washburn Shops - History | VintageMachinery.org

Manufacturers Index - Washburn Shops

Washburn Shops
Worcester, MA, U.S.A.
Company Website: http://www.me.wpi.edu/MPE/About/washburn.html
Manufacturer Class: Wood Working Machinery & Metal Working Machinery

History

Last Modified: Nov 14 2024 9:40PM by Jeff_Joslin
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Ichabod Washburn

In 1867, Ichabod Washburn, who owned the biggest wire-making factory in the country, donated a working manufacturing plant to the newly established Worcester Polytechnic Institute. That factory became known as the Washburn Shops, and in 1896 started manufacturing a "sensitive drill", among other products such as clutches and drafting tables. By 1902 they were also manufacturing a patent mitering machine.

Washburn Shops is still in existence, but production of the drill and miter machine ceased many years ago.

Information Sources

History of the Washburn Shops is documented on a web page from the Mechanical Engineering department at WPI.
An article in the Journal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers gives some background on the Washburn Shops, with an emphasis on their pedagogical value.