A museum in Windsor dedicated to precision manufacturing in the U.S. has neared its fundraising goal of $2.8 million; money that will be used to renovate the building’s second floor and expand its overall capacity by more than half of its existing size. The “Floor 2 the Future” campaign has already raised over $2.5 million toward the goal with a fundraising deadline of December 2026. With full funding, the building’s second floor — currently used for storage of museum collections not on display — will be expanded to include more educational space as well as a conference center for businesses and the larger community. The Gene Haas Foundation donated $1 million toward the campaign, and the new space will be called the Gene Haas Center for Manufacturing Inspiration.
The American Precision Museum is housed in the Robbins & Lawrence Armory in Windsor, a four-story factory built in 1846 beside Mill Brook. The building had initially been constructed by Samuel Robbins, Nicanor Kendall, and Richard Lawrence after needing a home for the 10,000 rifles they had acquired through a government bid. Today it is a site of education and innovation, celebrating and promoting all things related to precision manufacturing.
APM’s executive director, Steve Dalessio, spoke to the Standard about the museum’s history, purpose, and plans for the raised funds. “Prior to the 1840s, when something was built, it was built by hand, and there was no repeatability,” said Dalessio. “So every part that you made, or every product you made, was unique. What happened here at [the factory that became] the American Precision Museum was that the founders developed a process that allowed for machines to take over the manufacturing of parts — and, particularly, rifles. So all the parts became interchangeable. They became repeatable and precise.”
This kind of technological innovation is still happening today, and not just for firearms. While in the past, precision manufacturing helped produce things like sewing machines and typewriters, it now produces parts for smartphones, surgical equipment, and aircraft engines – just to name a few. Dalessio addressed the common, lingering misconception that manufacturing is “dark, dirty, dangerous, and dull.”
“Manufacturing facilities are leading the way in sustainability,” he said. “They’re clean, they’re high-technology. There’s all kinds of things that didn’t exist 25 to 50 years ago. Of course, AI is starting to creep into manufacturing as well. It’s just an exciting time.”
For more on this, please see our October 16 edition of the Vermont Standard.
