Norwalk Concrete Burial Vault Co. (Cherry St.)

 Viewing Cherry Street today, with expansive space taken by the I-91, one is hard-pressed to imagine the former Carpenter Hospital, Holyoke Tuberculosis Sanitorium, and a concrete vault dealer along the stretch of road between Hillside and Homestead Avenues. The two hospitals were covered in previous chapters, and today’s topic tells the story of the Norwalk Concrete Burial Vault Company.

Norwalk Precast Molds, an Ohio-based company, was founded in 1906 as a manufacturer of sheet-metal-jacketed wooden molds for producing concrete burial vaults. The company developed a concrete burial vault and mold system which provided superior strength and consistency in the casting. Due to the popularity of this vault, and the mold equipment used to precast it, a system of licensing was established nationwide.  Molds were sold to more than 300 distributors across the country who were licensed to manufacture the “Norwalk Vault” in their respective areas.

In 1934, Holyoke’s Alfred M. Kriger was listed as the local sales rep for the Norwalk Cement Burial Vault Co. Mr. Kriger’s residence was listed at 452 Appleton Street, with a business address at 275 Park Street. Shortly thereafter, the business moved to the north side of Cherry Street, where it would manufacture the vaults. The vaults would be stored in a shed erected on the property of Michael Coffey.

It wasn’t until 1945 and 1946 that Alfred M. & Eleanor Kriger acquired the Cherry Street parcels in separate transactions with John J. & Ellen Coffey (1945) and Samuel M., Raymond M., Marion S., and Ella A. O’Connell (1946). 

The Coffeys, who were dairy farmers, had owned the property since purchasing it from Auguste Bonitz in 1917. They retained ownership of the house and farm buildings, and sold only the land to the Krigers. A survey map is shown below with the roughly 7/10 of an acre purchased from the Coffeys. The adjoining O’Connell lot was approximately 1/4 acre.

Upon the passing of Alfred Kriger in 1952 and Eleanor Kriger in 1957, Thomas E. Slattery, Eleanor’s son, became president of the corporation.

Norwalk Concrete Burial Vault Co. continued to operate in Holyoke until 1964, when the land was taken by eminent domain for the construction of Interstate 91. The company moved to 550 New Ludlow Rd. in South Hadley, where it continued in business as part of Shawnee Pre-Cast Products Company, operated by Thomas Slattery. The story of this company will be published in the next chapter.

Citations:

Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican; publication dates and pages are shown.

Ancestry.com (paid subscription): Price & Lee Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories

Company History - Norwalk Precast Molds