ORANGE — The origins of the old cereal building began in the late 1800s, as the home of New Home Sewing Machine Company, manufacturing and selling sewing machines. The company once employed 700 people in the early 1900s, according to the Orange Historical Society. “Most of the Mill buildings downtown all belonged to New Home at one point,” said Jim Young, Orange Fire Chief
The historical society has several New Home Sewing Machines on display. The Society also houses an embroidered picture made by the young Covey Brothers of Greenfield, which won first place at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
The father of the Grout Brothers, William Grout, famous for the Grout automobile manufactured in Orange, was owner of New Home Sewing Machine Company. A marker in front of Town Hall pays tribute to the company.
The building also served several other purposes over the years after new Home Sewing Machine closed. At one point, the building housed offices for Erving Industries, Inc. It then became known as the Old Cereal building after Innovative Cereals was housed there. That business closed and the building has been vacant since then.
—CARLA CHARTER