Briggs Carriage Company
| Briggs Carriage Company | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| National Register of Historic Places | |||
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| location | Amesbury , Massachusetts , United States | ||
| Coordinates | 42 ° 51 '43 " N , 70 ° 55' 42.1" W | ||
| NRHP number | 100000822 | ||
| The NRHP added | 3rd April 2017 | ||
The Briggs Carriage Company (BCC) was a manufacturer of tram vehicles in Amesbury in the state of Massachusetts of the United States , which from 1866 to the early 20th century was active in the market. In 2017, two of the four buildings (14 and 20 Cedar Street) at the former headquarters were entered on the National Register of Historic Places .
history
When it was founded by Richard F. Briggs in 1866, the Briggs Carriage Company initially produced horse-drawn carriages until production was switched to tram cars in 1890. At that time, the factory had a production area of around 67 by 18 m, which was spread over two floors connected by an elevator. The first order for four open carriages, each with eight seats, came from the Manchester Street Railway in New Hampshire .
After Richard Briggs began to place advertisements in trade magazines, BCC received a large number of orders and manufactured both open and closed vehicles for various customers, which were also delivered electrified from the end of the 19th century. Customers included tram companies from Massachusetts and other states such as Maine , Rhode Island , New York , Connecticut and Pennsylvania , as well as from Canadian regions such as Manitoba and British Columbia and Montreal .
BCC received the two largest orders in its company's history in 1899 from two companies that were later merged into the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company : The Brooklyn City Railroad ordered 25 open cars with 13 seats each, while the Nassau Electric Railroad ordered 50 cars of the same type and more Ordered 25 closed wagons.
In 1896 the New York Duplex Car Company received a patent for trams that could be converted from an open to a closed structure depending on the weather. As a result, it was no longer necessary for the operator to only keep cars available for certain seasons. Since the Duplex Car Company did not have its own production facilities, it had the cars manufactured to order from BCC, among others. The first of these novel wagons was delivered to the Concord Street Railway by the BCC in 1898.
In addition to the normal orders, the BCC also made luxury versions of their vehicles, which were comparable to the saloon cars typical of railways . The first car of this type was the approximately 9 m long City of Manchester , which was delivered to the Manchester Street Railway on August 13, 1897. It had two open platforms and a closed central section as well as a monitor roof. The wrought iron railings on the platforms were richly decorated with ornaments , while materials such as mahogany and oak were used in the closed area of the car . The chairs, made of wickerwork and leather, could be placed freely on a thick carpet. The car was also known as the “ Victorian salon on wheels” because of its equipment and appearance .
The car was primarily used by the president of the tram company as a representative means of transportation, but could also be rented by private individuals for a daily fee of US $ 5 (today approx. US $ 159). Today the car is in the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport ; it is the only BCC car that still exists today.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the need for new streetcars decreased, so the BCC began making bodies for the Locomobile Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut . In early 1903, the company was transferred to the newly founded Southern Car Company and thus ended its own business activities.
literature
- Christine Beard, Betsy Friedberg: Eligibility for National Register. (PDF) National Park Service , Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System, October 17, 2013, accessed on April 20, 2017 (English, accessible via the "INV" button).