Harwood Softball & Baseball | c. 1900

1651.566.1
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In 1858, Mr. Harrison Harwood Sr. set up his factory—H.P. Harwood & Sons—in the center of Natick to manufacture Official League Baseballs. In the first year of production, he recorded $150,000 in sales. The highest quality balls were covered with horsehide, and sheepskin was used for the cheaper balls. The best balls were stitched with silk thread, and linen thread was used for the others.

A "cottage industry” was built among Natick women who stitched balls at home. Wagon drivers would deliver piecework and subsequently collect the balls for factory finishing. Baseballs manufactured at this facility included the figure-eight and lemon-peel designs. To supply leather for production, a special tannery was built by Harwood just east of Sawin Street at the "Tannery Pond." Eventually, the pond—which many nearby residents called “Stink Pond”—became such a blight that the tannery was shut down.

Harwood’s “League Balls” were sold nationwide and in Canada. By 1870, the factory routinely filled single orders for up to 6,000 balls from its best customers. The New York Times reported that Harwood & Sons was “the greatest base ball manufactory in the world.” More than 200 women were employed doing piecework in the factory building. Over the years, innovative machinery was designed to take over much of the manual work.

Making baseballs in Natick was continued by three generations of the Harwood family. The Harwood operation in Natick closed in 1976.