Curious SouthCoast: How New Bedford celebrated its first 50 years in a repair shop

In the first 50 years of the city’s existence, New Bedford had an abundance of businesses from foundries to electronics and toy companies to cordage and glass companies, and the celebrated whaling industry was going strong.

Who would have known that the building where New Bedford celebrated its industrial achievements would one day become a trolley repair shop, to ultimately be replaced by an apartment building.

The Union Street Railway Repair Shop at Purchase and Weld streets doubled as the Semi-Centennial Industrial Exposition Building. Built in 1897, it was used as the exhibition hall during the celebration, as written in the official souvenir program for the occasion.

The "New Bedford Semi-Centennial and Industrial Exhibition” contains “A Review of the History of the City together with Accounts of the Whale Fishery, the Early Industries, the Great Growth in the Cotton Manufacture and the Social and Economic Changes.”

The Pairpoint Glass display alone was described as being “composed of over 3,000 pieces of the finest cut glass and glassy work in the United States.”

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The majority of the city’s industries were represented, although representatives of the large cotton mills refused to participate over a dispute.

A similar publication was published by New Bedford’s Morning Mercury newspaper in October 1897, and both are available for viewing in the New Bedford Public Library’s Genealogy room by appointment and on various online archive sites.

On the first day Oct. 11, President McKinley pressed the button in Washington, D.C. that started the "Mechanics in Motion" exhibit inaugurating the exhibition. The so-called walnut button was later part of the exhibit.

It was reported that 15,000 people attended the exhibit daily. The exposition lasted 10 days.

Planning for the semi-centennial

New Bedford Mayor Charles S. Ashley was the chairman of the General Committee for the semi-centennial that was formed for the celebration.

It was George F. Bartlett at a meeting of the Board of Trades in September 1896 who proposed a semi-centennial celebration, and on March 26, 1897, a joint special committee was formed.

It wasn’t unanimous, but as written in the official souvenir book the "New Bedford Semi-Centennial Industrial Exhibition,” the decision was made despite the opposition.

“Notwithstanding many differences of opinion as to the advisability of holding the celebration at this time, and considerable opposition, both covert and open, from conservative citizens, the committee labored strenuously, and in the face of great discouragements and difficulties have succeeded in organizing a celebration of which the city may be proud, and which will reflected honor not only on the members of the committee, but will be an unmistakable benefit to the community,” as it was written.

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Describing the semi-centennial building

The large, one-story brick and wood building featured a facade consisting of a rectangular middle section and tapering, sloped wing and two large portals 20 feet in height for the passage of the trolley cars and the overhead wires. A simple parapet rose above the roof line.

After completion of the trolley repair shop building in 1897, and its use as the exposition hall for the New Bedford Semi-Centennial that year, the building was outfitted with the necessary facilities for a complete trolley repair shop. At its peak, workers could build trolley cars in the repair shop.

There was also once a sanitary disposal company on site.

A firebombing struck the Semi-Centennial Building in 1970 during a time of racial tension that included riots in New Bedford, causing structural damage. A major portion of the middle section was destroyed, but the left and right wing were intact and salvageable. New ceiling joists restored the center section.

The Car Barn Apartments at 1959 Purchase St., stand on the site of where the repair shop existed all those years ago.

Standard-Times staff writer Kathryn Gallerani can be reached at kgallerani@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter: @kgallreporter. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: Once a New Bedford trolley repair shop is now Car Barn Apartments