Draper Corp. Hopedale, MA aerial views July 2019
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- The former Draper Corporation, the world leader in loom production founded in 1856 and then acquired by Rockwell International in 1967, had a profound history in the Town of Hopedale for decades, but after its closing on Aug 29th, 1980, this property has remained shuttered.
See the 1.2 million square foot remains of the former industrial leader in this bird's eye view filmed in 4K UHD with Dolby 5.0 sound. The Boston Globe ran a feature article on this property in Aug 2018 citing the effects the town suffered after its closing in 1980. Today the property remains unused and is for sale.
The original footprint of the massive structure is still visible after years of demolition and disposal efforts costing millions. For further info and history visit the town of Hopedale, MA history website. Dan Malloy webmaster: www.hope1842.com
Thank you for posting this video. I lived in Hopedale from birth to 25. My parents & Grand parents worked at Draper's in the 60 & 70's. I lived in one of the houses across the street from the Draper building for a few years, swam in the pond & played on those fields. Such fond memories of growing up there. Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
Hello Donna!
You're very welcome, I too am a Hopedale guy, living there till my early 20's. My dad served on the Board of Selectmen, was Deputy Fire Chief, and worked at Drapers until the day I was born in July of 1952. I remember a Charlie Hensel in school, that would be your brother?
Wow, since producing this video, I've heard from so many folks that I lost touch with....They have commented with kind words as you have, and it makes this whole history share thing very cool.
I hope you are well, enjoying your summer, and thanks again for checking in here. Means a lot to hear from another of the "original" Hopedale folks living there during the '60s and '70s. Reminds me of seeing Aerosmith play in the upstairs of the Town Hall when they were first starting out! Hope to see you here again sometime.
Doug@ the "ranch"
Doug Scott [Lakesideranch]
lakesideranch Charlie is my Dad. I was born in '73 and moved after I got married in '98. So glad this was done by a Hopedale original! Have a wonderful summer.
@@donnahensel8794 Thanks so much, Donna! Now I really feel my age, I remember Mr. Hensel working in his yard when I went to Dutcher St. School as a kid...lol
@@lakesideranch that was probably my Grandfather also named Charlie. 😁
I remember running there from Milford High School as part of my daily Cross Country workout. It was a MASSIVE building that took a while for me to run from one side to the other! Now this massive abandoned building is demolished.
Wonderful video. I couldn't help but notice that the buildings reminded me of the scenery from Fallout (computer game with the world after the apocolypse). Draper manufactured textile machinery and a company I worked for in the 1960s had a Draper industrial loom for the manufacture of technical fabrics. IIRC it was 10 ft wide. It was an old machine then, but they said it was superior to any new looms and would last forever. Unfortunately, the company I worked for also shut down in the 1980s. Thanks for the excellent video!
Your welcome Bruce!
Great to hear from you here. The legacy of Draper looms is amazing, the company had market share and was widely accepted as the finest quality standard for textile machines. Then along comes Rockwell International, acquiring the company and promptly relocating the entire operation to the southern US, resulting in thousands of jobs lost, huge revenue woes for the town, and the ultimate eyesore in the center of a quaint mill town. History is amazing, but it's also very sad. Thanks for the holler here Bruce, take care!
Great video, Doug!
When I was a teenager, I used to love going inside those old abandoned mills - not to destroy anything like most kids did, but just to see the old time construction, and history. These days trespassing isn't high on my list of things to do, lol. Would love to walk around inside that place though!
I still have several old soda cans in mint condition that I got out of Duralite in South Grafton many years ago, before the massive fire destroyed that whole complex - I'm sure you remember that one. It was HUGE. Could see the smoke all the way to Boston I heard. Was living in Phoenix at the time, and it made the news way out there!
Sad there's so many of these mills all over MA that are decaying into the ground. There's one in Millbury they turned into housing, but I'd imagine that cost them a bundle. Good that the old Whitin Mill is still running in Whitinsville - that place is enormous! That was the first video I watched of yours. Used to work there 25 years ago at EAW - always loved ducking out and taking the elevator to the basement, or the roof. That place amazed me. Every day they ran 4-ton forklifts over that floor - you could hear them coming no matter where you were, since the floor creaked and flexed from the weight. From the basement I used to watch those 2' thick timbers deflect 4" or better as they drove over the floor above! Pretty neat.
As Massachusetts continues to drive businesses out of state with their idiotic policies, I'm sure we'll be seeing more and more of this as the years go on.
Thanks for posting, Doug, and nice work flying, Greg! 👍👍
Hey Smitty!
Thanx for the holler here. I run on memories now...lol You've been in on some of lifes coolest adventures too....The old Draper Corp is a tad bit smaller today than when I was growing up in Hopedale.....1.2 million square feet at its peak years before the Rockwell International guys choked it and relocated it south to N.Carolina. I'll tell ya, I wouldn't want to be a tax assessor or a real estate appraiser working on this century-old problem. No infrastructure that meets code, the current structure is deteriorated badly, and not a developer or broker in sight. Sad state of affairs there. Very sad. I don't believe we'll see it resolved in our lifetime either!
Work safe, stay cool my friend.
Doug@ the "ranch"
My friends and I used to live in Milford mass back in 1988, my girlfriend at the time lived on Hope street next to the Draper building……we checked out what I believe was the power plant… if I remember correctly there was 2 generators in the building the was next to the chimney
Very cool interesting place thanks for the awesome video 😁
Hey Mike!
Thanx, brother!
Drone video is the ticket, right? I live and die with pan & tilt, good times had by all. Couldn't do this without my son Greg, he learned from me when he was 9 years old.
He's the master of flying in all directions and staying on target with the subject...Amazing stuff makes it easy to edit and fun to talk to him about the finished product that you see.
Question for ya....Greg and I have talked about the behind the scenes of the aerial stuff, how we do it, etc. Would you and Brandon be interested in that info?
Since you both fly and understand the challenges, maybe Greg & I could offer some tips on flying and video and obviously share with the rest of the channel subs.
Let me know your thoughts.
Doug@ the "ranch"
This video is AWESOME! Thank you for making this Doug!
You're welcome Fred! Glad you enjoyed it my friend, there will be more Hopedale vids soon, hang tight!
Doug@ the "ranch"
Wow! A beautiful setting on the water, but such a big sad place now! Very cool video!
Hey Mrs. Elite!
Glad you enjoyed it, you're right, that beautiful place belonged to the guy who the electric foundry was named after. An executive home all day long.
I don't see anyone in the near future jumping in the old complex to renovate/ repurpose it. Hope you and your family are having a good week, see ya on the next 1
Doug@ the "ranch"
@@lakesideranch I found a VHS tape I took of my three children and me throwing rocks from the boat landing behind Progress Street to try and reach that house, but too far! Good memories.
@@johndecicco I'm very sorry for your loss.
Keep the video, memories are priceless!
Doug@ the "ranch"
@@lakesideranch Thank you, Doug. I know it sounds cliche, but those were simpler times. Even my now-adult kids miss Hopedale.
@@johndecicco Agreed, times were certainly simpler then! Hopedale is a great place to live, just severe taxes due to lack of commercial industry.
Really cool video and great info. The stories that building could tell would simple be amazing. Wonderful job.
Thank you Junior,
These are fun to make and folks enjoy the history of the old mills.
Appreciate the holler here!
Doug@ the "ranch"
you forgot to mention the Bruce Willis movie that was partially filmed at the mill out in the back area! this was great to watch and see!
You're right joe b, that fact totally slipped thru the cracks when I did the edit. Thanx for the reminder, that was a pretty good movie too. Thanx for the holler here, stay safe, be happy and kind.
Doug@ the "ranch"
@@lakesideranch What was the name of the movie?
Wonderfully done, thank you.
Hey Diane!
Thanks for the comment and the subscription, much appreciated. I hope you and yours are healthy and Staying Safe. Enjoy your week, hope to see you here again soon!
Doug@ the "ranch"
@@lakesideranch I sent a link to my mom also, she's going to love it. ♡
@@dianestrauss9699 Great! Share the love, thanks for your support Diane!
Doug@ the "ranch"
Nice work Doug, I really enjoyed the video and nearly lost my lunch on the smokestack portion. Thank you, see you back at the ranch!
Thank you, Ed!
Glad you made it thru the high flying smokestack footage....lol Appreciate you watching and leaving a comment here. Hope you had a good Labor Day weekend.
Doug@ the "ranch"
And also thanks to your son Greg, you two make a great team.
@@edwardcastiglione5545 Thanks Ed,
I'll let Greg know, he doesn't always read all the comments here. We have a lot of fun making the videos, as a father and son quality time thing...
Thanks for the holler here, have a good night!
Doug@ the "ranch"
What an excellent video Doug. Thanks for taking the time to add the history to it. Those old building, workshops, and factories all have such a great soul.
Thanks so much for watching Pat!
The history of the industrial age is cool IMHO and I enjoy learning about it. Truth be told though, I grew up in Hopedale and remember vividly when that factory was humming along, producing machinery, and employing hundreds of folks from the area.
So sad to see it in this condition with no promise of ever being repurposed or redeveloped at this time due to costs. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, please consider subscribing to the channel for more adventures. Family-friendly content, all we have here is fun!
Doug@ the "ranch"
Wonderful video
Thank you, Mary!
It's a timeless building, a remarkable tribute to American manufacturing, and an icon to the Hopedale residents. I'm grateful that I was able to capture it in this timeframe.
Hopedale's historian, Dan Malloy has an extensive catalog of Draper documentation and memorabilia, and this video is part of that collection. Enjoy your day, thanks for your comment. Stay safe.
Doug@ the "ranch"
Great video thanks brother. I don't know what to say. I have seen a lot of these older factories tore down or just left like this one. Keep up the great work see you in the next video thanks again brother
Hello Scott!
Thanx for the holler here my friend, glad you enjoyed the video...lol
That place doesn't have a bright future IMHO, it's to the point of being condemned soon I'm afraid. The worse part is the small town is financially strapped for commercial revenue dollars and that place is base land tax now with very small building structure value due to its age and condition.
Hope you are having a good, safe summer, thanks for watching!
Doug@ the "ranch"
I looked, and there it was, gone. Nothing left, but bricks. Such a shame! Countless people worked on the mill, and in the mill.
Magnificent!
Thanx Scott, appreciate the compliment and you watching! Enjoy your weekend, talk soon!
Doug@ the "ranch"
America was built in these buildings but now there so inefficient and not compatible to today's standards they'll probably be torn down and something more modern built! Thanks for sharing Doug
Hello CE!
You're correct sir, no takers for that big property, demo costs would be huge and infrastructure for new const would be an investment that wouldn't pay off for decades. Thanks for watching and the holler here!
thanks
Happy Birthday Doug 🎂
Thank you Mr. Letaw.
Hope you are well and enjoying your weekend my friend!
@@lakesideranch everything good
that is one massive building. imagine the revenue that company had just to maintain that building. it is a shame to see it closed up and not being used. it happens more and more every day. at this point it will likely be knocked down and sold off in parcels for something else.
The amazing part is 2/3 of the complex has been demolished leaving the foundation footprint you see in the video. Originally 1.2 million square feet was the assessed size. It's been a long time since anyone had any interest in that building. The demo and disposal costs will be huge, even though the site is level, the infrastructure to redo the property will run into the millions.
The town has a very high tax rate for industrial/commercial properties and that leads to a dead-end on redevelopment plans.
That was a big old building in the middle of town. I bet it was a big part of the economy back in the day.
It was the sole industrial property for years and the town's finances have suffered greatly with its demise.
The whole town was built around that factory, many of the town buildings were donated by the company to the town and are still used today in there updated condition. Sad to see the end of an era, and even worse, the tax burden shifted to the residential property owners! It's a bad situation they have wrestled with since it's closing in 1980....
I am just familiarizing myself with the comments. Bruce Willis filmed here? Amazing. My mother was a realtor (for a short time) and briefly showed property to Alec Baldwin and his then wife, Kim Bassinger. Not much came of that, imagine if it had? Therefore, the state’s largest birdseed bell, being held at Little Red Shop is remains most fascinating fact (behind Bruce Willis mention, of course).
Arguably the finest fellow you’ll ever meet.
Thanx for the kind words, subscribing, and watching!
Greg did some great flying. To bad they wouldn't let him do a fly-in but it would be to dangerous to have to do a recovery if he had to.
Hello Scott!
You're right...lol
That place is an icon of the old days of manufacturing, and a shame it's been abandoned for so long and decayed to the point of no return. The site needs to be totally demolished and repurposed into something attractive that businesses and light manufacturing would utilize. I hope to see the rebirth of this property in my lifetime, but it's going to be a long road back to desirable real estate I'm afraid.
Thanx for watching and the holler here, hope all is well with you and yours in Florida. Work safe, stay tuned!
Doug@ the "ranch"
Did you need permission to fly here or do I need to contact someone before flying FPV there? Thanks! Awesome shots.
Thanks! Had permission, a real hot topic with the town right now, lots of concerns by the residents as to the future of the property. I wouldn't advise FPV in the area, it's private and monitored for activity. Filming was done remotely, with no ground access to the area.
lakesideranch Thanks for the info! 🙏🏻👍🏻
@@rambozo_fpv176 No prob, R U local?
My wife and I rented a house on Progress Street from David Carchio, the original drummer of Aerosmith.
Cool, Dave and I served on the Hopedale Fire Dept for many years. Great guy. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Doug@the "ranch"
@@lakesideranch His mom Dixie helped us find the place!
@@johndecicco Dave's mom was a great real estate broker, she was always professional and worked to help clients. 1st class!
Doug@the "ranch"
@@lakesideranch At first, I couldn't figure her out because of her eccentricity, but then I saw she was a pro.
@@johndecicco Definitely!
4:58 Dan, I'm going from memory 31 years ago, but is the road on the right Dutcher?
Yes!
do you live in hopedale? i am looking for people in town to go flying with. i live right near the mill and i have a mavic and a few fpv drones. i love flying at the mill
Hey Conor!
I grew up in Hopedale, Live in Milford now.
Do you do any video? How long flying drones? Licensed part 107? We should chat sometime. PM if you like, e-mail is on the channel page too.
Doug@ the "ranch"
lakesideranch I make a lot of edits with my drone stuff. I use them in vlogs that I make. There’s an edit of the Draper mill on my page at the start of “vlog 2” I’ve been flying almost a year now. I am not 107 certified yet but I am working through learning my stuff for it and hopefully taking the test by the end of the summer
@@SPELTMUSIC Great! Study, study, and study some more. The new tests for 1st-time (initial) licenses are difficult and complex. It helps if you have general aviation experience or a private PL. It's doable with about 60 hours of head down study. $160.00 to take the 60 question initial test (2 yr license) and retakes are the same cost if you fail. Renewal charge is the same money, but only 40 questions for 2 yr re-certification. Make sure your drone(s) are registered with the FAA, even if you bought them used or at a yard sale. Owner compliance is a big part of licensing now. I'll check out your stuff on YT. Let me know when you get your license, I may have some commercial work for you with a high-end 4K sUAS. Any problems with a gov't background check like the FAA requires? Also, need your insurance info for employment as an operator/contractor. Keep in touch. [Dougs.1ranch@gmail.com] Enjoy your weekend and Labor Day!
Doug@ the "ranch"
lakesideranch yeah if you’re not part 107 you don’t need to register each individual drone, you just register yourself as a pilot and put the same registration number on all your uavs (between 250g and 55lbs) but I have that done already. No problems with a background check, never been arrested, haven’t had a ticket in 7 years. It’s just the knowledge for the test I’m worried about. I’d rather go in completely prepared than rush it though and waste more money that I could be spending on parts for a new build haha.
lakesideranch do you fly fpv at all or just automated camera drones?
this makes me want to throw a rock through a window. should i not do that? would that be wrong of me?
Probably not a good idea now that the place is undergoing remediation and partial demo. But you be the judge....Thanx for the holler here!
Doug@ the "ranch"