On Central Street, where Queset Brook dams into Morse Pond, the Morse Thread Mill in Easton, Massachusetts, is a stellar example of late 19th century industrial architecture executed in brick. This site was long-owned by members of the Morse family, beginning in the 1830s when Edward James Whiting Morse (1809-1865) erected a wooden thread mill, creating a small industrial village in South Easton. His heirs inherited the family business and oversaw steady growth until a fire in 1894 destroyed the old mill. They rebuilt in fire-proof brick that same year and remained in operation for a few years until 1900 when Alfred B. Morse, the grandson of Edward, sold the business to a larger manufacturing firm. This 1894 brick factory was later used by the Easton Machine Company, who manufactured machinery and the Morse Automobile from 1902-1914, the work of Alfred. After later industrial use, the building sold to a developer who converted the building to a residence and office in the 1990s, maintaining its unique charm and significance to the community.
