In 1661, David Jones settled on the eastern bank of a river that
would eventually carry his name – the Jones Falls. The Jones Falls
played an important role in the initial growth of Baltimore City
due to its 260-foot drop from the headwaters to the harbor that
provided waterpower for the operation of grist mills, from
foundries, and textile mills. At its height, eleven mills operated
on these banks, the most prominent, Clipper Mill Industrial
Park.
In 1843, a modest machine plant was born in the outskirts of
Baltimore City at 161 North Street. Founded by Robert Poole, joined
in 1851 by partner German Hunt, the plant served as one of the
country’s largest machine manufacturing shops.
Two years later, after a fire that damaged the factory and halted
operations in 1853, the gentlemen moved their operation to
Woodberry Road, just north of a nameless branch of the Jones Falls
at the foot of Tempest Hill. The new plant, coined Union Machine
Shops, housed Poole and Hunt’s general offices, an iron foundry,
erecting and pattern shops, a melting house and stables. Instantly
it became the backbone of the Woodberry/Hampden community,
employing thousands of men as it grew to become the country’s
largest machine manufacturing plant. The Foundry, complete with
railroad siding and tracks for moving raw material and finished
product, was home to the first looms for producing “cotton duck,”
the cloth used for the sails during the first World War.
The most remarkable feat
accomplished at the plant, the production of a pit-lathe capable of
turning out a wheel sixty feet in diameter, gained national
attention for being the largest lathe in the world. In addition,
the company cast the 36-inch columns and brackets that still
support the US Capitol dome in Washington, D.C.
Following the War, the company was bought by Balmar Corporation, a subsidiary of the Franklin Railway Supply Company, a major force in the development of the steam locomotive. In 1903, Robert Poole passed away and, in his honor, the mill continued to operate until 1920. In 1995, the site experienced a terrible fire, eliminating most of the commercial space and forging the way for an adaptive reuse development project that will create a modern-day live/work community.
Following the War, the company was bought by Balmar Corporation, a subsidiary of the Franklin Railway Supply Company, a major force in the development of the steam locomotive. In 1903, Robert Poole passed away and, in his honor, the mill continued to operate until 1920. In 1995, the site experienced a terrible fire, eliminating most of the commercial space and forging the way for an adaptive reuse development project that will create a modern-day live/work community.