Higgins Armory Building

The Higgins Armory Building is a historic structure, held to be the first building constructed solely out of steel and glass. It was built on the premises of the Worcester Pressed Steel Company owned by John Woodman Higgins to house his museum-worthy collection of steel artifacts, mostly European weapons and armor but also early American steel constructs. The L-shaped building appears to be a massive city-block sized structure, but in reality it wraps around the former factory, to which it was connected via catwalks. The building was often used to impress potential clients, as well as becoming a locally known museum and cultural venue open to the public.
The museum was first accredited after Higgins died in 1972 by the American Association of Museums and continued operations through the closing of the Worcester Pressed Steel Company in 1975. On January 4, 1978, it was the victim of a theft of arms and armor worth over . By refocusing the collection, the board created the only museum in America devoted purely to arms and armor. In order to shore up the endowment, the board voted in July 2012 to sell off more than 500 objects, with the proceeds being put directly into the endowment. Museum director Suzanne W. Maas stated that it was "simple housekeeping". "We have 10 virtually identical examples of troopers' helmets," she pointed out. "Do we need 10, or do we need seven?" The steel-framed building features large expanses of glass and cost more than $300,000 to construct; it is believed to be the first building constructed solely out of steel and glass.
The building is L-shaped with a chamfered corner. The entrance is located on this chamfer, and a large decoration of a half suit of armor sits on the roof above it. The exterior consists of visible steel pilasters decorated with oversized rivets, dividing sections of glass windows along the sides of the building. A decorative band of steel runs above the first story windows, and a row of large medallions decorates the cornice. The first two floors of the building were originally for offices, while the upper two housed the museum.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu