Stove Works Part 3

Photo of the Lorain stove works from the 1948
American Stove Annual Report

The 1948 Annual Report of American Stove Works painted an optimistic picture of its Lorain operations.

It notes, “Steel was scarce until late in 1948. It was necessary to use premium steel, obtained at high cost. Toward the end of the year, steel became available through the regular channels. Reduction in the cost of steel made it possible for the Lorain Division to reduce prices early in 1949. This, together with an improved line of space heaters, has put the Lorain factory’s products in an excellent competitive position.”

However, the plant still closed in the mid-1950s.

Today the former stove works is surrounded by a fence and mostly demolished. Once the last building is torn down and the debris hauled away, the City of Lorain will take ownership of the property.

What part of the stove works in that 1948 photo is still standing today?

As recently as 2010, there were still several buildings left (below).

Here are those same buildings in the 1948 photo.

But looking at the 2013 view on the www.historicaerials website, there's just one building left.

Here's my view of it from a few weeks ago.

Soon, it will be gone too.

Thus, demolition will finally bring to a close the story of the stove works, one of Lorain’s once-thriving but often forgotten industrial concerns.

Souvenir bricks from the former stove works
(Note the partially visible Metropolitan imprint on the brick on the right)