Gruber Wagon Works 

The Gruber Wagon Works survives as one of the most complete examples of an integrated rural manufactory of its kind in the nation. Erected in 1882 by Franklin H. Gruber, the wagon works evolved from a single craftsman shop, having a variety of specialized hand tools, into a family-operated business which employed up to 20 men who utilized mass-production methods. Unlike a modern assembly process, wagon parts were transported back and forth between various rooms in order to complete a segment of the work.
Wagon wheels were constructed in the bench shop, and wooden parts of the wagon were made from patterns in the wood shop. Wheels were "tired" and wagons were "ironed" and assembled in the blacksmith shop. The distinctive striping and scrollwork were applied by hand in the paint shop.
Gruber Wagon Works is a historic building currently in Bern Township, Pennsylvania.
Franklin H. Gruber, who had been making farm-use wagons since the 1870s, constructed the wagon works in 1882. The business continued operating under the family's ownership, expanding to wagon repair and other manufacturing to adapt to changing demand, until it closed in 1971.
Unfortunately, the building's original site on the Licking Creek in Pleasant Valley fell within the planned area of Blue Marsh Lake, so it was bought by the Army Corps of Engineers and during the winter of 1976-1977 they relocated it 5 miles (8 km) east to its present location.
It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
It is located on Red Covered Bridge Road in Tulpehocken Creek Park, in vicinity of Reading.
Gruber Wagon Works is now part of the Berks County Heritage Center, an open air complex that also includes the C. Howard Hiester Canal Center with exhibits about canal transportation, Wertz's Covered Bridge, Melcher's Grist Mill, Deppen Cemetery, several memorials and gardens. The Center is open seasonally and offers tours of the historic buildings.
During the winter of 1976-77, the Gruber Wagon Works was moved by the Army Corps of Engineers from its original location near Mt. Pleasant. In 1978, the Gruber Wagon Works was designated as a National Historical Landmark by the United States Government, commemorating its historic significance as an industry from a bygone era of American craftsman.
Directions:
www.co.berks.pa...