Rutland in Rutland County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)

Howe Scale Company
⎯⎯⎯
Howe Center

Howe Scale Company marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Delaney Shaw, March 9, 2026

1. Howe Scale Company marker

Inscription.
In 1857, John Howe reorganized the Brandon Iron and Car Wheel Co. as the Howe Scale Company upon buying the 1856 scale patents of Frank Strong and Thomas Ross. Howe's durable and accurate ball-bearing platform scale weighed everything from livestock to railroad cars. The thriving business produced 8.000 scales in 1864, but by 1869 Howe was bankrupt.

New owner Nathan Sprague revitalized the company he renamed the Brandon Manufacturing Co. In 1877 board members John Page and George Merrill moved it from Brandon to 1 Scale Avenue in Rutland, between the Rutland & Burlington and Rutland & Bennington railroads. Howe Scale Company, as it was again known, was chartered in 1878 with 300 employees casting four tons of iron daily.

( reverse side )
Howe Center Howe Scale Company prospered in the early 20th century, and by 1910 the Rutland complex employed nearly 800 with offices in 23 major cities. It also faced the challenges of unionization, technological innovation, ownership changes, and foreign competition. In 1962 Howe Scale merged with Richardson Scale Company of New Jersey, creating the largest scale

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company in the US selling exclusively to the industrial market. Plagued by oil shortages, strikes, safety concerns, and competition, Howe-Richardson Scale Co closed in 1982. In 1989, Joseph and Barbara Giancola purchased the 18-acre complex. The Giancola family redeveloped the manufacturing site as the Howe Center. a place for business. industry. education, and community.

Erected 2024 by Vermont Division For Historic Preservation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Industry & Commerce • Notable Places • Railroads & Streetcars.

Location. 43° 36.042′ N, 72° 58.408′ W. Marker is in Rutland, Vermont, in Rutland County. It is at the intersection of Strong Avenue and Scale Avenue, on the right when traveling south on Strong Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Scale Ave, Rutland VT 05701, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Green Mountains.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western

Howe Center Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Delaney Shaw, March 9, 2026

2. Howe Center Marker

Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Vermont Republic.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rutland County Vietnam Honor Roll (approx. 0.3 miles away); Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 1 - First in the Nation (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Soldier Carved in Stone (approx. 0.3 miles away); A Brief History of a Long War (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rutland County Vietnam Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); George Schmitt (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rutland G.A.R. Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Major General Merritt A. Edson (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rutland.

Photographed by Delaney Shaw, March 9, 2026

3. Howe Scale Company Marker

Photographed by Delaney Shaw, March 9, 2026

4. Howe Scale Company Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 9, 2026, by Delaney Shaw of Seneca, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 31 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 9, 2026, by Delaney Shaw of Seneca, South Carolina. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.

Howe Scale Company⎯⎯⎯Howe Center

Howe Scale Company
⎯⎯⎯
Howe Center