finally paid dollar for dollar on the indebt- 

 edness incurred. His natural inolination to 

 develop himself by mechanical training in 

 harmony with his tastes led to his invent- 

 ing many new devices for working wood, 

 and he eventually spent nearly all his time 

 at this work. His first product was a ma- 

 chine for mortising stationary blinds. Blind 

 makers did not take kindly to the invention, 

 contending that it took too much labor out 

 of the hands of working men. Mr. Smith 

 then went to Boston and commenced the 

 manufacture of blinds himself. Soon after, 

 he began producing doors and sash by me- 

 chanical processes, in the meantime having 

 invented mortising, tenoning and molding 

 machines. He was the first individual to 

 employ iron frames for woodworking ma- 

 chines, cast in one piece. In a moderate 

 way these undertakings were successful. 



At the age of thirty-one Mr. Smith lo- 

 cated in Lowell, Mass. By that time his 

 machines had achieved sufficient prestige to 

 cause considerable demand, which afforded 

 him a constantly increasing business. They 

 were then being built in the various shops 

 in that city, but as he was very particular 

 about material and workmanship, especialh- 

 the fitting of the working parts, he soon 

 started a machine shop of his own, where 

 he continued their nmnufacture with suc- 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



cess until 1865, when he decided that a 

 larger shop and a more central location were 

 necessary. 



As a boj-, the water-wheel was Mr. 

 Smith's toy, and in seeking a new site, he 

 evidently kept water power in mind, for he 

 visited only places where it was obtainaVilc. 

 Eventually he selected Shreveville, N. J., 

 at which place were located the old thread 

 mills formerly occupied by Shreve Brothers. 

 He bought the Shreve Brothers' plant, and 

 the water power and farms thereabout, 

 starting in to establish practically an altru- 

 istic community which should be devoted 

 not only to the manufacture of woodwork- 

 ing machinery, but to the higher purpose of 

 providing comfortable and happ}' homes for 

 working men who should grow up with his 

 business. He builded better than he knew, 

 for today in the great Smithville shops may 

 be found workisig side by side, fathers, 

 sons and grandsons. 



The old thread mills were rebuilt, new 

 structures of very substantial character 

 were erected, and the spacious old mansion 

 on the hill overlooking the works was still 

 further increased in size. During his en- 

 tire lifetime the founder of Smithville 

 never ceased building. A characteristic fea- 

 ture of his structures is that every one is 

 put together in the most substantial man- 



15 



ner possible. If a twelve-inch wall were 

 deemed strong enough to withstand the 

 strain upon it, he would have it made three 

 feet in thickness, supplementing it with 

 cast iron door and window frames. His 

 floors he invariably made of great ribbed 

 ]ilates of cast iron. In many respects the 

 Smith works, which undoubtedly will stand 

 to the end of time, resemble a fortification 

 more than a group of factory buildings. 

 Surrounding the stately mansion on the hill 

 lie built a wall surmounted with iron spikes, 

 which would resist the attacks of an army. 

 Massive iron gates afford entrance to the 

 great garden within, which even to this day 

 abounds in rare trees and plants, old-fash- 

 ioned flowers, and box hedges. The man- 

 sion is a rambling structure which, besides 

 the maiu living rooms, contains bowling al- 

 leys, billiard hall, private school rooms, and 

 continues out in an L to the stables. There 

 is also a greenhouse of generous propor- 

 tions. 



Accompanying this article is a group pic- 

 ture showing one of the gateways leading 

 to the garden of this mansion, a view 

 among the tangled trees, vines and shrub- 

 l.ery in front of the house, and one looking 



VIEWS ABOUT THE WOODWOKKING M.\cniNEKY PLANT UK TIIK II. I!. SMITH MACHINE COMPANY. 

 I. Looking from Below the Dam. 2. Warehouse and Observatory. 3. Broadside View of the Main Plant from Pond. 



