BDCC Business Park | The Book Press

About

What do Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, and All the President’s Men have in common with Brattleboro? All were printed here, at the Book Press. From its humble beginnings in 1952 and its small location on Birge Street, the Book Press quickly moved to what was eventually a 200,000 square foot location north of town. That move was financed by the newly created Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation. By the mid-1970s, with 900 employees, it rolled out 33 million books a year. But by the mid-1980s, although still one of the largest printers in the country, the Book Press faced financial challenges due to the rapidly changing technology. In 1987 it sold to a Canadian firm, Quebecor. Thirteen years later, Quebecor announced that, due to obsolescence, aging equipment and an uncompetitive wage structure, it was closing the plant. Although losing a once-thriving printing business, Brattleboro continues to prosper with its proud legacy in writing, printing and publishing intact.

Research & Production

Narration: Andy Davis
Script: John Hooper, adapted by Lissa Weinmann & Andy Davis
Music: Anna Patton

Ongoing Development and Involvement:
As a community-created project, we encourage ongoing dialogue, questions, and engagement. If you would like to be involved in future developments, have information or a perspective that could deepen others' understanding of this topic, please contact us.