User:RGKMA/sandbox/H. Harwood & Sons Baseball Factory

The H. Harwood & Sons Baseball Factory (also referred to as the Harwood Baseball Factory) was the first world's factory to manufacture baseballs. The factory was in operation from 1858 to 1976 and is located in Natick, Massachusetts.

History
Harrison Harwood was born October 18, 1814, in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. He attended Westminster Academy before going into business in Adrian, Michigan. At the age of 25, he returned to Massachusetts and lived in Oakham, Fitchburg, and Winchendon before settling in Natick in 1858.

factory for the manufacture of baseballs of the regulation pattern, and a tannery to produce a quality of leather suitable to be used as a covering

Harrison Harwood was a Natick businessman who built the factory in 1858

Harwood died August 27, 1882, in Natick.

John W. Walcott and Col. William A. Cutler

Across the street from Natick Center station

World's first baseball and softball manufacturer

https://www.natickhistoricalsociety.org/harwood-baseball-factory

https://robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2011/spring/1172/circa-1858-harwood-sons-original-baseball-stitching-bench

https://www.milforddailynews.com/story/news/local/2020/07/23/natick-home-to-former-hp-harwood-and-sons-first-baseball-factory-in-us/114536662/

https://harwoodbaseball.com/harwood-baseball-timeline/

http://www.milb.com/milb/info/museums.jsp?mc=_massachusetts

https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=nat.105

The Harwood factory was erected by Harrison Harwood for the manufacture of baseballs in 1858. It is reported to be the oldest factory of its kind in this country. His three sons later became partners in the firm and "Harwood and Sons" have employed local townspeople throughout the years. The League ball, used by professional cubs in this country, has been manufactured here.

Harwood was a leading businessman and citizen in Natick after settling here in 1858. He served as a selectman in 1871–72, and for twelve years served as a county commissioner of Middlesex County. He was also co-founder of the Natick National Bank (now the Trust Company), and one of its directors.

Architecturally the building is a simple 4-story factory of wood, with a hipped roof. It has intrinsic value to the overall Nineteenth-Century townscape as a "punctuation mark" of the northern end of the compact urban setting of Main Street.

https://archive.org/details/historyofmiddles01hurd/page/564/mode/2up?q=harwood

https://archive.org/details/historyofmiddles01hurd/page/n773/mode/2up?q=harwood

https://archive.org/details/historyofmiddles01hurd/page/558/mode/2up?q=&#x22;h+harwood++sons&#x22;

Base-ball factory.—Firm of H. Harwood & Sons. Established 1858 by Harrison Harwood; later as above. Different grades are made, the best covered with horse-hide; the cheaper with sheepskin. The balls are wound at the factory, the covers are put on by women at their homes. Great quantities are made, that are shipped to all the cities and larger towns of the United States and Canada. he League ball is the ball of the prominent professional clubs throughout the country.

The wound core for a more resilient baseball was developed by John W. Walcott and combined with the figure-eight stitching devised by Col. William A. Cutler. It was manufactured by the firm of H. Harwood & Sons in their factory built in 1858 – the first plant in the world for the manufacture of baseballs. In 1988 the H. Harwood & Sons factory was converted into baseball factory condominiums

The Past

The figure-eight stitched baseball cover was first developed by Ellis Drake in the 1840's. It was then mass manufactured in 1858 by H. Harwood and Sons of Natick, MA, the first baseball factory in the United States and even used at times by the Cincinnati Red Stockings during their 1868 and 1869 tour.

The Present

America's first baseball factory was converted to twenty condominiums and one commercial unit in 1989. Over the years downtown Natick has grown up around this historic building - and today the baseball factory is in the heart of downtown Natick.

http://www.baseballfactory.org/aboutBFC.html

William Cutler of Natick, MA reportedly designs the Figure 8 cover. The design was sold to Harrison Harwood.

Harrison Harwood develops the first baseball factory (H. Harwood and Sons) in Natick, Massachusetts. Baseballs that are manufactured at this facility include the Figure 8 design as well as the lemon peel design.

https://protoball.org/The_Evolution_of_the_Baseball_Up_To_1872

https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/430729686/?terms=&#x22;harrison%20harwood&#x22;&match=1

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https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/433658592/?terms=&#x22;harrison%20harwood&#x22;%20baseball&match=1

https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/433483220/?terms=&#x22;harrison%20harwood&#x22;%20baseball

https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/119509388/?terms=&#x22;harrison%20harwood&#x22;%20baseball&match=1

https://archive.org/details/ancientmiddlesex00goul/page/104/mode/2up?q=&#x22;harrison+harwood&#x22;+natick

https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/338652460/?terms=&#x22;harwood%20official%20league&#x22;&match=1 and https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/507804235/?terms=&#x22;harwood%20official%20league&#x22;&match=1


 * Ball image

https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:tm84gw.2.4

https://patents.google.com/patent/US397303A/en?q=(harwood+base+ball)&oq=harwood+base+ball&sort=old

https://patents.google.com/patent/US397362A/en?q=(harrison+harwood)&oq=harrison+harwood&sort=old

https://patents.google.com/patent/US923762A/en?q=(harrison+harwood)&oq=harrison+harwood&sort=old

https://www-newspapers-com.wikipedialibrary.idm.oclc.org/image/354954320/?terms=&#x22;harwood%20baseball&#x22;&match=1