Water Street 0025 (approx.), Holcomb Brothers, Granville, Massachusetts

The original Holcomb Brothers were Clement and twin brothers Edward and Edgar. They were in business together from at least 1850. According to History of Granville (page 118), the firm made kegs for the gunpowder mills in Enfield, Connecticut. They had struggled to make the bungs for the kegs until they went to Enfield and learned how to make them from the religious group, the Shakers. After that, they made all the kegs in Granville. This venture continued until the federal government required that gunpowder be stored and shipped in metal containers. The Holcomb Brothers then began producing sewing machine pitmans. 

After the deaths of Clement, Edgar and Edward, the company was taken over by Edward's sons, Edgar B. and Elleret. The company met it's demise around 1918. In January that year, Elleret Holcomb died of pneumonia. On June 12, the Transcript-Telegram newspaper (Holyoke, MA) reported that the Holcomb Brothers two story factory had caught fire resulting in a $16,000 loss. The blaze was believed to be caused by the factory's boiler. In April 1919, Edgar B. Holcomb bought a one third interest in the Amesbury Manufacturing Company. The company had several years earlier opened a plant in St. Petersburg, Florida that made automobile parts, and Edgar bought a house there and made Florida his permanent home. 

Thanks David! Fascinating history. $16,000 would have been very significant damage in 1918 dollars. According to the 1925 Granville tax roll Noble & Cooley owned what was referred to as "Holcomb building" 1 and 2, which may have been what was left of Holcomb Brothers after they closed. https://archive.org/details/copyofvaluationt1925unse/page/14/mode/1up?q=holcomb A photo of Elleret Holcomb is at: https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/552  https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/552  A photo of Edgar is at: https://granvillehistory.omeka.net/items/show/551