H. F. Barrows Manufacturing Company Building

Henry F. Barrows began jewelry manufacture in 1853 with a small shop in Attleborough Falls. The firm quickly grew and moved to other, ever larger, locations. In 1887 the concern was turned over to Barrows' two sons, Henry F. Barrows, Jr. and Ira Barrows. By 1895 the brothers had moved their ever-expanding company to a location at Broad and Division Streets.

Continued prosperity resulted in the construction of an even larger factory. This plant was constructed in 1906. Located at 102 South Washington Street, at the corner of Chestnut Street, it became an instant landmark and remains one today. Its considerable visual importance has made it a "gateway" to North Attleborough's downtown.

The Barrows Building was an L-shaped brick structure. A tall entrance tower is set off at an angle to the L and contains a clock face on each of its four sides. The Barrows Company ceased production in 1971. The building had been vacant for some time when the town of North Attle- borough chose it for the site of a new police station.

The building was restored and renovated, inside and out, at a cost of $7.2 million. The new headquarters of the North Attleborough Police Department opened in 2004. In October 2007, Raymond Bourque provided a "gift of time" by contributing $30,000 toward the restoration of the Seth Thomas clock in the tower.

The Barrows Building