Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Slovenia mushroom foraging
Slovenia • 6 days, 5 nights
Forest to Table in Alpine Slovenia
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
“Yo Soy el Buen Pastor Ego Sum Pastor Bonus” by Bernardo Ramonfaur.
Museo Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacro (Archdiocese Sacred Art Museum)
Burke Building.
Burke Building
‘La Grande Assiette Brisée’ (‘The Large Broken Plate’)
Ellijay Mushrooms Farm
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
View of the full general store from the second floor.
MoonPie General Store
A slice of cake is the perfect coda to a meal at Piatto Romano.
Piatto Romano
Crunchy and supremely satisfying, suppli might be the ultimate street food snack.
Supplizio
The pedigreed pistachios here are from Bronte.
Gelateria dei Gracchi
This tiny hole-in-the-wall serves one of the world’s most magnificent sandwiches.
Er Buchetto
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Our journey begins in Texas—more specifically in Big Bend National Park.
The Atlas Obscura (Audio) Guide to the National Parks
about 20 hours ago
While initially unsanctioned, Toronto’s graffiti community converted this largely ignored alleyway into an epicenter of world-class street art.
10 Unexpected Places Where Creativity Shines in Toronto
about 20 hours ago
Prehistoric creatures roam the grounds of the Dinosaur House.
Roadside Dinosaurs: An American Love Story
about 21 hours ago
There’s No Right Way to Say ‘Taco’
1 day ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Massachusetts Wareham Tremont Nail Company
AO Edited

Tremont Nail Company

The former home of the oldest nail maker in the United States was built on the ashes of a mill burned by the British.

Wareham, Massachusetts

Added By
Dave Brigham
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Tremont Nail Company   Dave Brigham / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Before it became known for summer tourism and cranberry bogs, Wareham was the center for a more hard-hitting industry: nail manufacturing. The Tremont Nail Company, founded in 1819 on the ashes of a cotton mill that was partially burned by the British during the War of 1812, is the only remnant of what was once one of Wareham’s most important economic drivers.

The country's oldest nail company, Tremont made nails at this site along the Wareham River and just off the Cranberry Highway for more than 180 years. Factory workers used steel smelted from ore found in local bogs to cut nails used by local carpenters.

Covered in shingles for protection against the salt air, the numerous buildings on the site, the oldest dating to 1848, feel more like a collection of large cottages than a factory complex. There is also a weather-beaten colonial home on the site, which was home to the factory’s office.

Across Elm Street is the former company store. Adjacent to the mill’s main building is a flume and fish ladder that offer great views of the Wareham River.

Since purchasing the old nail factory property in 2004, the Town of Wareham has held several events at the site. The town plans to turn the former factory into a place for artistic and educational ventures, as well as commercial retail and restaurant outlets. 

Related Tags

History & Culture Industrial Factories

Know Before You Go

The old factory is not open to the public. Elm Street is closed to car traffic directly in front of the factory complex.

Community Contributors

Added By

Dave Brigham

Published

February 19, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.wareham.ma.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif5146/f/uploads/tnf-vision_plan.pdf
  • https://wareham.theweektoday.com/article/tremont-nail-company-anniversary/44462
  • https://wareham.theweektoday.com/article/meet-me-tremont-sheds-light-historic-wareham-factorys-future/43324
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tremont_Nail_Company
  • https://www.tremontnail.com
  • https://discover-wareham.com/about/history-of-wareham/
Tremont Nail Company
8 Elm St
Wareham, Massachusetts, 02571
United States
41.7665, -70.7233
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Witch Rock

Rochester, Massachusetts

miles away

Salty the Seahorse

Mattapoisett, Massachusetts

miles away

Sandwich Glass Museum

Sandwich, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wareham

Wareham

Massachusetts

Places 2

Nearby Places

Witch Rock

Rochester, Massachusetts

miles away

Salty the Seahorse

Mattapoisett, Massachusetts

miles away

Sandwich Glass Museum

Sandwich, Massachusetts

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wareham

Wareham

Massachusetts

Places 2

Related Places

  • Östra Torp, Sweden

    Kalkugnarna

    Preserved 19th-century lime kilns sit in southern Sweden.

  • Ribandar Riverside Viewpoint Cross

    Velha Goa, India

    Ribandar Riverside Viewpoint Cross

    This cross marks the site of a 16th-century Portuguese gunpowder factory.

  • Giant Wool Wagon

    Kojonup, Australia

    Giant Wool Wagon

    This large replica wagon tells the story of the booming wool industry in this small Australian town.

  • Nivea tins

    Heidelberg, Germany

    Deutsches Verpackungs-Museum

    A small museum dedicated to the history and design of German packaging.

  • .Entrance

    Austinville, Virginia

    Shot Tower Historic State Park

    This tower was once used to create ammunition for early settlers.

  • Guignard Brick Works

    Cayce, South Carolina

    Guignard Brick Works

    A handful of beehive kilns are all that’s left of a historic brick-making empire.

  • The heart of the factory is a tyre shaped brick oven.

    Jokela, Finland

    Jokelan Tiilitehdas Brick Factory

    This once-mighty brick factory is now a unique museum experience.

  • Artifacts from Boca.

    Truckee, California

    Boca

    This settlement on the original Transcontinental Railroad began by harvesting timber, but transitioned to a forgotten 19th-century industry: harvesting ice.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.