Higgins Armory Museum

History:

John Woodman Higgins was a prominent industrialist in Worcester, Massachusetts who owned the Worcester Pressed Steel Company. Throughout the 1920's Higgins collected arms, armor and other steel. These items where stored in his home until Higgins incorporated his collection as a museum in 1928.  A four story art deco L shaped building was designed by Joseph D. LeLand. Higgins  started the construction of the steel and glass building in 1929 for it to be used for his armory collection. Construction was completed in 1931 and was named The Museum of Steel and Armor.  The museum was renamed in 1975 to the John W. Higgins Armory Museum and stayed open until  December 2013. The building is now know as the John W. Higgins Armory LLC  Event Center, Art Gallery and Office Facility and is a U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This historic structure is believed to be one of, if not the first all steel and glass building in the United States to be  constructed.