Community Corner

Hartland Museum Buys Cromaine Crafts Loom

Wooden device represents a piece of the area's hand-weaving heritage and will be on display during tonight's Old Fashion Christmas Potluck.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Hartland's hand-weaving industry was the third largest in the country and now the Florence B. Dearing Museum has added to its collection of that heritage by buying a Cromaine Crafts loom.

The wooden device — which weaves cloth — was purchased over eBay for about $600-$700 and arrived from Indiana in November. It was built in Hartland, which produced the machines from 1934 to 1959, according to Hartland: Weaving the Past with the Present.

"This is quite a find," said Barbara Krueger, a docent at the musuem, which focuses on Hartland-area history.

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In its heyday, Cromaine Crafts supplied 200 retail stores with linens, including Hudson's in downtown Detroit, according to the history book. The industry started as one part of Hartland philanthroper J. Robert Crouse's Hartland Area Project that focused on community building during the Great Depression.

Krueger said the item — which still works — joins other looms as part of the museum's collection and will be on display at the museum, which is open from 1-3 p.m. Sundays and Wednesdays and hosting 6 p.m. tonight.

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