By John Vincent
Special to HomeGallery Magazine
History is still in the making in a mill on Route 28 in Wareham where the Tremont Nail Co. is producing some of the same cut nails made in the early 1800s for contractors to use in restoring antique homes.
The Tremont Nail Co. has a certain amount of old-world charm itself, having been started in 1819 using a water-powered mill damaged in the War of 1812. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places.
While market forces have recently forced the company to move operations to a newer shop behind the original mill building, it still produces the old-style nails that make the Bob Villas of the world salivate when it comes time to renovate their old houses.
In fact, Bob Villa recently shot a “Home Again” TV program at the shop that gave a glimpse of the historic mill and showed its nails being used to renovate the floor of a house on the Cape, according to Tremont Nail General Manager William Driscoll.
After that kind of publicity, people will come out of the woodwork saying, “I didn’t even know you existed,” or “These are just the nails I was looking for. I didn’t even know anyone made them anymore,” Driscoll said.
Most people who do serious renovation of historic homes know all about Tremont Nail Co., though, he said.
The company has 20 nails that it makes, 18 of which are authentic styles used in the different time periods of history, so people doing a renovation project can get just the nail that is appropriate for their house. The nails are made with the same machines used for generations. The machines cut the steel and pound a head onto the end in one fell swoop, using the same technology used over a century ago.
Driscoll said people ask, “’Why don’t you just modernize the whole thing?’ Well, fine, you show us a way,” he said, adding, “If it works, keep doing it.”
The company also makes a wrought nail that is a replica of the handmade nails used before Ezekiel Reed of East Bridgewater invented the nail-making machines in 1786.
Driscoll said the company used to do quite a business in cut masonry nails, but has recently been driven out of that market by cheaper Chinese nails, but he said there is almost no competition in the restoration nail business.
“This is a very unique business,” Driscoll said, noting that it’s hard to keep the old machines going. “The people that keep these machines running are very capable, but there’s not a lot that can do it. They’re part magician, part machinist.”
The company has also found newfound life for its galvanized masonry nails because the pressure-treated wood industry just switched acidic formulas for treating the wood to one that is less of a health threat to humans but more harmful to nails, Driscoll said.
The old mill is now closed and plans are in the works to convert it to an area of trendy shops with a historic flavor. The town of Wareham is planning to buy the mill and fix it up.
“The town wants to preserve it as much as they can,” Driscoll said, adding “they have some great ideas.” Those ideas include a restaurant, a kayaking service on the nearby river, artist studios and retail outlets.
He said the giant wheels and belts that used the water of the Wankinco River to drive the machines that made the nails should serve as an attraction to the new commercial center.
“We bring the industrial architects in here and they just go nuts,” when they see the old machinery, he said.
Meanwhile one of the main attractions for the tours which come by now is the former Tremont company store next door. The store has been bought by a local family and sells everything from the Tremont nails and old-style door latches to original paintings, silver platters, teddy bears, cook books and an eclectic collection of gifts.
And the store’s owners are totally up-to-speed on all things about the Tremont nails, mentioning that they had been used on the crucifix in the recent movie, “The Passion of The Christ.”
Everyone from Civil War buffs to the people from Plimouth Plantation find their way down to the store to get the authentic look they need, said Shari Assad-Bryant of the store, noting some will look for the original nails to tack leather to the soles of their authentic shoes.
“We have people come in every day for nails and hardware but they also bring in their wives … so it works out very well,” said Assad-Bryant.
Sandra Assad said the plans for the arts collaborative and stores next door should only help their store and she said Wareham is growing up right around it’s little bit of history.
“This town is growing by leaps and bounds because people are tired of fighting that bridge, so Wareham is just booming. The housing is just exploding and it’s all in the upper $400,000s, and we’ve 45 miles of beach front,” she said.
But whether you’re renovating a historic house on Onset Beach or an old ranch in Texas, Driscoll said you should have no problem getting the authentic nails you need as the company does about 20 percent of its sales over the internet. They’ve even gotten orders from Australia, Japan and Europe, though he notes there are still a few cut nail operations in England, but they actually don’t have the tradition and continuous length of service of the Tremont Nail Co.
“We’re probably the oldest and largest cut nail operation in the world,” Driscoll said.