Our Mission
200+ Years of Local Industrial History
Throughout the years four additions were added and on June 26, 1968, Handy & Harman Refining Group, Inc. purchased the Attleboro Refining Company. In November 1973, Handy & Harman left 42 Union Street for a new facility located on Townsend Road in the “new” Attleboro Industrial Park. On November 29, 1976, Handy & Harman turned the 42 Union Street building over to the Chamber of Commerce of the Attleboro Area who acted as caretaker while the Attleboro Area Industrial Museum, Inc. attained a non-profit status with the federal government. The building was in great disrepair when donated to the Museum so, for the first few years, the Board of Directors and Incorporators were concerned primarily with the rehabilitation of the building and grounds. The incorporators were J. Jerome Coogan, Emilio G. Gautieri Jr., George S. Gibb, Elizabeth Hartshorn Phillips, August H. Schaefer, and William H. Ward. The building was located in the jewelry manufacturing center of Attleboro when built in 1899.
Our goals and objectives were created by the originators, they wanted a place, as stated in the mission statement “to collect and preserve artifacts, photographs, publications, documents, tools and machinery from the industrial history of the Attleboro area”. “These materials would be readily available for both research and enjoyment and the museum act a resource center for the education of the community about Attleboro’s industrial history.
Programs and Exhibits
The Craftsmen Shop
The Craftsman Shop is a typical 1850-1860 shop in a traditional farm town.

L.G. Balfour Exhibit
Includes documents, photos, artifacts, office machines of the L. G. Balfour Company.

Philip Kraczkowski Exhibit
The actual studio used by Kraczkowski to create his art and sculptures.

Eugene Hunt Exhibit
Includes the machines, tools, designs and documents from the Eugene Hunt Machine Turning Company

Button Making Exhibit

Additional Exhibits
Support Attleboro's History & Become a Volunteer
Volunteer
Now Seeking Archivist/Librarian
Board of Directors

George Howarth
Board President
G.H. Electric Owner (Ret)

Joan Pilkington Smyth
Board Vice President
Librarian, Retired, Attleboro Public Library

Rose Larson
Board Treasurer

James Russell
Board Secretary
Museum Consultant

Jane Coogan
Attorney Coogan Smith LLP

Scott Dubuc
Shear Impressions Salon

Bette Fuller
Educator Ret.

Dan Larson
Larson Tool, Inc.

Scott Killough

Ken Tenglin

Nancy Young
Attleboro Jewelers Inc.

Carleton Legg
Museum Director