Evaporator Works/Grimm Marker

46 Ravenna Street

A marker to Gustave H. Grimm on Ravenna Street was approved by the Ohio Historical Society and installed in 2007, thanks in part to the efforts of Hudson Archivist, Gwen Mayer.

Grimm, a German immigrant tinsmith, established the G.H. Grimm Manufacturing Company, one of Hudson’s earliest factories. His patented device, the Champion Evaporator, revolutionized maple syrup production with the use of a corrugated pan which increased the efficiency of evaporating liquids.  His contributions as an inventor, researcher, and manufacturer established him as a leader in the maple sugar industry.   Grimm left Hudson for Vermont in the late 1890s as Vermont was a growing center for the maple industry.  G. H. Grimm's company was the largest producer of maple syrup making equipment for 114 years.

In 1978, the building was remodeled for adaptive re-use by architect Allan Sveda.  Many new shops in a similar architectural style were added around it.  Therefore, in town, the common reference to the "Evaporator Works" is a reference to this entire small commercial area not just the historic building.

Marker is on Ravenna Street 0.1 miles east of South Main Street (Ohio Route 91), on the right when traveling south.