What is the story of the “Hamilton 57” site on Somerset Street in Hopewell? How did it grow and evolve over the past 100 years? Here are some questions in anticipation of the upcoming presentation – with brief answers.
The Building
Q: What is this crazy quilt of a building? Was it designed as a jigsaw puzzle, with different sizes and shapes of pieces, and with different heights?
A: This is a manufacturing complex, built in six major parts, constructed from 1927 through 1984 by the three different companies that occupied the facility. And all of those original parts are still present within the current structure.
The Street
Q: Why is Somerset Street empty? It’s a two-block-long, dead-end street that runs up to the Township border. Why does Hopewell Borough have this street with no houses and minimal buildings along its entire length?
A: In early 1990, Somerset Street was discovered to be contaminated. The resulting remediation began around 1999 – including demolition of the houses and removal of contaminated soil. So today nothing remains of the previous use along the street.
The “Somerset” Street Name
Q: Why is the road named “Somerset” Street? Isn’t it just an extension of Railroad Place coming over from North Greenwood? Or maybe it could have been called Railroad Place East. So why does the same road have a totally different name?
A: The road actually was noted as “Railroad Place” and as “Railroad Place East” in a few early maps and articles. But the Somerset name prevailed, taken from the old Mercer & Somerset Railroad line that passed through the area before it was obsoleted by the Frog War. We can speculate why the owners along Somerset wanted a different name for their road.
The Beginnings
Q: Where did this building come from? Today’s generations know the site as Kooltronic (from 1975-1999), or may remember when it was Rockwell before that. So what happened in the years back to 1900 to create this structure?
A: This complex goes back to Hugh A. Smith, who started the Smith Novelty company beginning in 1901. Smith initially constructed two other factories on the north side of Somerset Street, before the first part of the current building was constructed in 1927.
The “Rockwell” Name
Q: Where did the “Rockwell” name come from? It’s certainly a solid-sounding name that worked well as the company expanded from the 1940s into the 1970s era of international conglomerates. But why that name?
A: Here’s a hint: The person who ran the Hopewell facility from 1929 to 1975 was Herbert S. Rockwell. His brother, Col. Willard F. Rockwell, founded the parent company and changed its name to Rockwell in 1945. So the name was just a conveniently appropriate family name.
Why Hopewell
Q: What caused individual entrepreneurs to show up in Hopewell with the dream of starting a new company? How did the residents work to make Hopewell an attractive new home for both new people and new businesses?
A: The arrival of Hugh A. Smith in Hopewell in 1901 was just one example of the ongoing efforts of town boosters to attract businesses. It also turned out to be their most important success. For more, see the report and presentation video on How Hopewell became a town with the arrival of the railroad.
Part of the Town
Q: How did 1900s companies fit into the town of Hopewell, besides providing jobs and money to the economy? How did companies and the townspeople work together to help the town grow and prosper?
A: Rockwell, like other local businesses and business owners, was deeply involved in the town, including sponsoring events, constructing a public skating pond, and starting its own fire brigade to support the Hopewell Fire Department.
Earlier, Hugh Smith had co-founded the Hopewell Building & Loan Association, contributed to the new building for the Public Library, and provided equipment for the Fire Department. He also was elected mayor – twice.
The presentation, Smith to Rockwell to “Hamilton 57” – A Hopewell Story, on Wednesday, October 9 will explore these questions in more detail, looking at how these individuals and business and the people of the town worked together to help Hopewell improve and grow as a great place to live and work.
Please contact us if you have historic Hopewell area photos, maps, documents, or other materials that we can share, especially from Smith and Rockwell.
More on Smith / Rockwell / Kooltronic
The large Smith / Rockwell / Kooltronic manufacturing facility at the end of Hamilton Ave. at Somerset St. expanded from a small job shop to a large manufacturing plant providing over 200 local jobs.
History
- Post – The Kooltronic / Rockwell / Smith Story
- History Brief – 57 Hamilton Ave. – Kooltronic / Rockwell / Smith (PDF)
- Post – Rockwell Fire Brigade on Somerset
- Post – “Hopewell 57” Historical Questions – and answers
Presentation
- Post – Hopewell 57 – Presentation Video and References
- Presentation video – Smith to Rockwell to “Hopewell 57” on YouTube Channel
- Presentation slides – Smith to Rockwell to “Hopewell 57” (PDF)
Documents
- Post – Smith Novelty Co. Business Invoices – c1910
- Documents – Rockwell brochures in the Pamphlet Collection
Media
- Post – Rockwell Artifacts and Photos
- Photos – Rockwell images and artifacts in the Image Gallery
- Presentation / Video – Hopewell with the Arrival of the Railroad – How Hopewell became a town – including Rockwell and Somerset Ave.
